This is the basic information on the most commonly found freshwater puffers.
There are a great many more freshwater species, but these are the ones most commonly found in stores.
The aggression rating is based on an average of people's experience & opinions, but aggression & personality in puffers varies wildly from fish to fish.
As it is a list of freshwater species only, it also does not include those species that start in fresh & move to brackish such as GSPs & F8s, all the puffers listed live in freshwater for their entire lifespan
These puffers are listed in order of adult size, smallest first.
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Dwarf Puffer Carinotetraodon travancoricus
Other names: Pea puffer, BB puffer, Pygmy puffer, Malabar puffer, Indian pygmy puffer.
Variants & confusions: Colour morph with blue spots. Sometimes related species Carinotetraodon imitator are often sold as c. travancoricus
Size: Up to 1 inch
Aggression: Moderate- can be kept in groups, but will attack the fins of other fish species. Aggresion & territorialism increases with age.
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Red-Eye puffer Carinotetraodon lorteti
Other names: Lorteti puffer, Crested puffer.
Variants & confusions: Male and female look totally different and are therefore sometimes sold as different species. Sometimes other puffer species which have red eyes are sold as red-eye puffers. Examples are t.palembangensis and c. irubesco.
Size: Up to 2 inches
Aggression: High- will attack other fish species, but can be kept in opposite gender pairs. Males will attack anything red coloured.
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Red-Eye, red-tailed puffer Carinotetraodon Irubesco
Other names: Red-Tailed Crested puffer.
Variants & confusions: Male and female look totally different and are therefore sometimes sold as different species. Sometimes c.lorteti are sold as red-eye-red tails puffers.
Size: Up to 2 inches
Aggression: High- will attack other fish species, but can be kept in opposite gender pairs. Males will attack anything red coloured.
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South American Puffer Colomesus asellus
Other names: Assel puffer, Brazillian puffer, Zebra puffer, Peruvian puffer
Venezuelian puffer.
Variants & confusions: None, but sometimes incorrectly sold as dwarf puffers.
Size: Up to 3 inches.
Aggression: Low to moderate- considered the most mild mannered puffer. Can be kept in groups and sometimes even with other larger fish, although may still fin-nip.
Additional: This puffer has very fast growing teeth will will need occasional trimming by the fishkeeper or it will starve. Do not buy this fish if you are not prepared to perform regular dentisty.
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Leopard Puffer Tetraodon schoutedeni
Other names: Congo puffer (old name now asigned to t.miurus)
Variants & confusions: Often incorrectly sold as green spot puffers and vice-versa, but this is a true freshwater fish and is from Africa whereas the GSP is Asian.
Size: Up to 3.5 inches.
Aggression: Moderate- Can be kept in small groups in a large tank. Will attack other fish species.
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Target Puffer Tetrodon leiurus
Other names: Twinspot puffer, Eyespot puffer.
Variants & confusions: Often confused with t.cochchinchinensis and sometimes with t.turgidis.
Size: Up to 6 inches
Aggression: High- keep alone, or in a very large tank. - will decimate other fish species.
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Brown Puffer Tetrodon turgidis
Other names: Common Puffer
Variants & confusions: Sometimes confused with t. cochchinchinensis and t. cutcutia.
Size: Up to 6 inches.
Aggression: Moderate- can be kept together in a large tank if plenty of caves & plants are provided. Uses inflation as an aggresion display. Will attack and eat other fish species including ones much larger than itself.
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Congo Puffer Tetrodon miurus
Other names: Red-brown puffer.
Variants & confusions: Various colour morphs including brown, red, black & marbled. Sometimes confused with t. suvattii
Size: Up to 6 inches.
Aggression: Moderate- will eat small fish and disembowel larger fish, but is very inactive.
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Arrowhead Puffer Tetrodon Suvattii
Other names: Pignose puffer, Mekong puffer.
Variants & confusions: Sometimes confused with t. miurus
Size: Up to 6 inches.
Aggression: Very high - keep alone. will kill & eat anything in the tank.
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Dragon Puffer Tetrodon Palembangensis
Other names: Humpback puffer, Kingkong puffer, Real Palembang puffer, Black river puffer.
Variants & confusions: none
Size: Up to 8 inches.
Aggression: Low as juveniles to moderate/high as adults- will eat other fish species of all sizes and is a very avid fin-ripper.
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Nile Puffer Tetrodon Lineatus
Other names: Fahaka puffer. Lined puffer, Coral butterfly.
Variants & confusions: None in the hobby.
Size: Up to 1.5 feet.
Aggression: Very high- Most specimens will attack & kill anything in the tank, some will even ram the aquarium glass in an attempt to attack passers-by. Keep alone.
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Giant Puffer Tetrodon Mbu
Other names: Mbu puffer, Gold ringed puffer.
Variants & confusions: None.
Size: up to 2 feet.
Aggression: Very variable, mostly moderate- the size of this fish means that only one can be kept in home aquaria. Will eat other fish of a suitable size, but may tolerate tankmates of a similar size. Is prone to sudden mood swings. A t.mbu that has cohabited for years with other fish may suddenly decide to bite them in half.
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There are a great many more freshwater species, but these are the ones most commonly found in stores.
The aggression rating is based on an average of people's experience & opinions, but aggression & personality in puffers varies wildly from fish to fish.
As it is a list of freshwater species only, it also does not include those species that start in fresh & move to brackish such as GSPs & F8s, all the puffers listed live in freshwater for their entire lifespan
These puffers are listed in order of adult size, smallest first.
___________________________
Dwarf Puffer Carinotetraodon travancoricus
Other names: Pea puffer, BB puffer, Pygmy puffer, Malabar puffer, Indian pygmy puffer.
Variants & confusions: Colour morph with blue spots. Sometimes related species Carinotetraodon imitator are often sold as c. travancoricus
Size: Up to 1 inch
Aggression: Moderate- can be kept in groups, but will attack the fins of other fish species. Aggresion & territorialism increases with age.
____________________________
Red-Eye puffer Carinotetraodon lorteti
Other names: Lorteti puffer, Crested puffer.
Variants & confusions: Male and female look totally different and are therefore sometimes sold as different species. Sometimes other puffer species which have red eyes are sold as red-eye puffers. Examples are t.palembangensis and c. irubesco.
Size: Up to 2 inches
Aggression: High- will attack other fish species, but can be kept in opposite gender pairs. Males will attack anything red coloured.
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Red-Eye, red-tailed puffer Carinotetraodon Irubesco
Other names: Red-Tailed Crested puffer.
Variants & confusions: Male and female look totally different and are therefore sometimes sold as different species. Sometimes c.lorteti are sold as red-eye-red tails puffers.
Size: Up to 2 inches
Aggression: High- will attack other fish species, but can be kept in opposite gender pairs. Males will attack anything red coloured.
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South American Puffer Colomesus asellus
Other names: Assel puffer, Brazillian puffer, Zebra puffer, Peruvian puffer
Venezuelian puffer.
Variants & confusions: None, but sometimes incorrectly sold as dwarf puffers.
Size: Up to 3 inches.
Aggression: Low to moderate- considered the most mild mannered puffer. Can be kept in groups and sometimes even with other larger fish, although may still fin-nip.
Additional: This puffer has very fast growing teeth will will need occasional trimming by the fishkeeper or it will starve. Do not buy this fish if you are not prepared to perform regular dentisty.
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Leopard Puffer Tetraodon schoutedeni
Other names: Congo puffer (old name now asigned to t.miurus)
Variants & confusions: Often incorrectly sold as green spot puffers and vice-versa, but this is a true freshwater fish and is from Africa whereas the GSP is Asian.
Size: Up to 3.5 inches.
Aggression: Moderate- Can be kept in small groups in a large tank. Will attack other fish species.
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Target Puffer Tetrodon leiurus
Other names: Twinspot puffer, Eyespot puffer.
Variants & confusions: Often confused with t.cochchinchinensis and sometimes with t.turgidis.
Size: Up to 6 inches
Aggression: High- keep alone, or in a very large tank. - will decimate other fish species.
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Brown Puffer Tetrodon turgidis
Other names: Common Puffer
Variants & confusions: Sometimes confused with t. cochchinchinensis and t. cutcutia.
Size: Up to 6 inches.
Aggression: Moderate- can be kept together in a large tank if plenty of caves & plants are provided. Uses inflation as an aggresion display. Will attack and eat other fish species including ones much larger than itself.
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Congo Puffer Tetrodon miurus
Other names: Red-brown puffer.
Variants & confusions: Various colour morphs including brown, red, black & marbled. Sometimes confused with t. suvattii
Size: Up to 6 inches.
Aggression: Moderate- will eat small fish and disembowel larger fish, but is very inactive.
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Arrowhead Puffer Tetrodon Suvattii
Other names: Pignose puffer, Mekong puffer.
Variants & confusions: Sometimes confused with t. miurus
Size: Up to 6 inches.
Aggression: Very high - keep alone. will kill & eat anything in the tank.
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Dragon Puffer Tetrodon Palembangensis
Other names: Humpback puffer, Kingkong puffer, Real Palembang puffer, Black river puffer.
Variants & confusions: none
Size: Up to 8 inches.
Aggression: Low as juveniles to moderate/high as adults- will eat other fish species of all sizes and is a very avid fin-ripper.
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Nile Puffer Tetrodon Lineatus
Other names: Fahaka puffer. Lined puffer, Coral butterfly.
Variants & confusions: None in the hobby.
Size: Up to 1.5 feet.
Aggression: Very high- Most specimens will attack & kill anything in the tank, some will even ram the aquarium glass in an attempt to attack passers-by. Keep alone.
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Giant Puffer Tetrodon Mbu
Other names: Mbu puffer, Gold ringed puffer.
Variants & confusions: None.
Size: up to 2 feet.
Aggression: Very variable, mostly moderate- the size of this fish means that only one can be kept in home aquaria. Will eat other fish of a suitable size, but may tolerate tankmates of a similar size. Is prone to sudden mood swings. A t.mbu that has cohabited for years with other fish may suddenly decide to bite them in half.
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