FreshwaterBrackishSaltwater
Banded puffer
Colomesus psittacus
Tetraodontidae, Tetraodontinae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 29.3 cm
- Body shape
- Deep-bodied
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 613 liters
- Diet
- Missing
Know what is missing? Suggest it in the app.
Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
Native
Lives wild in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, and Venezuela.
More about the species
Description
Solitary or in groups of 2 or 3 individuals but never in schools. Inhabits shallow inshore waters usually on soft bottoms. Frequently found in freshwater. When threatened, it becomes inflated like a balloon, in order to ward off predators. Carnivorous, feeding mainly on mollusks which crushes with its powerful teeth. Of negligible commercial importance and usually not marketed.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Tetrodon psittacus
In other languages
- Papegøjekuglefisk
- Kaijapallokala
Articles
All articles
Fish that get along4 min read
Temperament, fin nippers, fish that eat other fish, and fish that need the same water. And what the Harmony mark in the app means.
How to set up a South American aquarium4 min read
Soft, acidic water, subdued light, sand, roots and fallen leaves: how to set up a biotope aquarium from the Amazon and the rivers around it.
How to set up a Central American aquarium5 min read
Hard, alkaline water, sand and rock: an aquarium from the rivers and lakes of Mexico and Central America, with cichlids and livebearers.
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.