All fish / Tetraodontidae

Fahaka Puffer

Tetraodon lineatus

Also known as fahaka pufferfish, nile puffer, lined puffer, globe fish, fahaka, banded puffer, band puffer, ปักเป้าฟาฮากา, ファハカ・パファー, buntal fahaka, 法哈卡河豚, 尼罗河河豚

A large freshwater puffer with a pale belly and yellow to brown stripes along its sides, and it can inflate itself when threatened. People keep it because it has plenty of personality, recognises its owner and makes a striking centrepiece.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

35 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Keep alone

Diet

Carnivore: snails, shelled mussels, crab, prawns, crayfish and other hard-shelled foods to wear down the beak

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Nile basin and West African rivers (Niger, Volta, Gambia, Senegal, Lake Chad)

Breeding

It scatters eggs in the wild during the flood season and the male guards them. Captive breeding is very rare because adults are so intolerant of each other.

Good to know

This fish grows big and is extremely aggressive, biting fins and killing tankmates, so it needs a large tank to itself. Its beak keeps growing and must be worn down with shelled foods, and its flesh is toxic.