All fish / Tetraodontidae

Congo Spotted Puffer

Tetraodon schoutedeni

Also known as leopard puffer, spotted congo puffer, schoutedeni puffer, schouteden's puffer, congo puffer, leopard pufferfish, テトラオドン・シュータデニー, 斯考氏魨, 刺猬河豚

A small, rounded puffer with a pale yellowish to tan body covered in dark brown spots and tiny skin prickles on the belly. Keepers like it for its curious, watchful character and because it stays fairly small and lives in true fresh water, unlike many puffers sold as freshwater.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

Best kept singly or as a pair in a roomy tank; avoid tankmates with long fins

Diet

Carnivore: snails, bloodworm, shrimp, earthworms and other meaty frozen or live foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lower Congo River basin (DR Congo, Republic of the Congo)

Breeding

It has been bred in aquariums only rarely; the female lays eggs on a flat stone or leaf and the male guards them until they hatch. The fry need very small live foods such as infusoria and later brine shrimp nauplii.

Good to know

Its teeth keep growing, so it needs hard-shelled foods such as snails to wear them down, and it will nip fins and eat shrimps or snails kept with it. It is often mixed up with other small puffers, so check the identity before buying.