Pea puffer

Care at a glance

At three centimetres the pea puffer is the smallest pufferfish in the world, and it behaves like a miniature predator: hovering motionless in the water, rotating its eyes independently, then darting at prey with intent. For such a small fish that makes for surprisingly good watching.

It does not eat dry food. Plan on frozen or live food, and on snails — it needs those to wear down its constantly growing teeth, so a running bladder or ramshorn snail culture is not a luxury. It is also a fin nipper and eats shrimp, so in practice only a species tank works. Stock more females than males and provide plenty of planting as sight breaks.

Good to know

• Territorial
• Nips long fins
• Preys on shrimp and snails

Best not combined with

• GuppyPoecilia reticulata
• BettaBetta splendens
• Cherry shrimpNeocaridina davidi
• Nerite snail (zebra)Neritina sp.
• Racing nerite snailVittina turrita
• Olive nerite snailNeritina reclivata
• Horned nerite snailClithon corona
• Spixi snail (zebra apple snail)Asolene spixi

Related species

• Figure eight pufferDichotomyctere ocellatus
• Leopard bush fishCtenopoma acutirostre
• Elephant nose fishGnathonemus petersii
• Green spotted pufferDichotomyctere nigroviridis
• Black ghost knifefishApteronotus albifrons
• Indian glassfishParambassis ranga