Figure 8 pufferfish
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| Tetraodon biocellatus Tirant, 1885 |
The figure 8 puffer, Tetraodon Biocellatus, is a pufferfish found in freshwater and brackish water in Southeast Asia.
Figure 8 puffers grow to about 6 cm long. They are colourful fish, with greenish yellow patterns on their backs. These patterns vary greatly from fish to fish, but often resemble the number 8, hence their common name. These patterns seem to glow if the fish is especially happy. Figure 8 puffers are relatively peaceful fish, which can be kept quite safely with fish such as bumblebee gobies, but figure 8 puffers do tend to bite the fins of other fish.
Like all members of the Tetraodon family, the figure 8 puffer is capable of inflating itself with water or air when stressed or otherwise frightened.
In captivity, figure 8 puffers require a 15 US gallon tank with temperatures between 24 °C and 28 °C. They are sensitive to nitrites and nitrates, so overfiltration is required. The water pH should be between 7.8 and 8.3. Figure 8 puffers require a brackish tank with specific gravity between 1.005 and 1.008. In brackish tanks, figure 8 puffers live around 15 years, but if kept in fresh water, this number is sigificantly lower.[1]
Figure 8 puffers must eat hard food such as snails to wear down their teeth. If this does not happen, their teeth can get too long and inhibit their eating.
[edit] Sources
Aqualog: The puffers of fresh and brackish waters (Ebert, Klaus) ISBN 3-931702-60-X
