Pufferfishes

Pufferfish have long been popular pets, with their cute looks proving irresistible to many keepers.

Behind their appealing looks, there’s a range of personalities with a tendency towards aggression being a common trait. Not all puffers are a threat to tankmates, but all are equipped with beaks capable of causing serious damage, shaped for a diet of snails, bivalves, crustaceans and occasionally other fish. Some will learn to take dried food, whereas others will need more considered ways to add vitamins and minerals to their diet by gut-loading prey items before feeding them to your fish.

Their marine ancestry means that they tend to fall into two categories – brackish species that live in the tidal reaches of rivers, or true freshwater types which are found much further inland, often in soft, acidic waters rich in vegetation.

Depending on species, these are either ideal fishes for nano aquaria, or jumbo pets for outsized tanks. There’s a puffer for every level of dedication.