Home / Fishes / Pufferfish / red-tail dwarf puffer
No federal permit to keepred-tail dwarf puffer
Carinotetraodon irrubesco
Fishes › Pufferfish (Tetraodontiformes) › Tetraodontidae (Pufferfish)
Carinotetraodon irrubesco, known commonly as the red-tail dwarf puffer, is a freshwater pufferfish found only in the lower Banyuasin basin in South Sumatra and the Sambas River in West Kalimantan, both in Indonesia.
Intro from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Experience: Expert / facility
FamilyPufferfish
Adult lengthup to 1.8 in
WaterFreshwater
HabitatLives in freshwater
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 1.7 in / 4.4 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
- Availability: Rarely or never seen in the aquarium trade; expect to source it from specialists or not at all.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 24 × 12 in (roughly 14 US gallons); space needed is rated “modest tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 68–82 °F, pH 6–7.5, 2–12 dGH.
- Behaviour: a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more; not a community fish.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “This species requires a well-decorated aquarium with driftwood roots or branches plus plenty of aquatic plants, of which floating varieties can be used to provide additional shade.”
- Diet: “Tetraodontids lack true teeth, the jawbone itself being modified into four fused toothlike structures.”
- Tankmates: “Less aggressive than some members of the genus but nevertheless best maintained alone or alongside a group of peaceful, schooling cyprinids of a size large enough to escape predation but small enough that they offer no competition or threat.”
- Breeding: “This species has been bred in aquaria with at least one documented account.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Group care guide
Pufferfish
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Pufferfish inhabit marine reefs and coastal waters, brackish estuaries and, in some lineages, freshwater rivers and lakes. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Level 5 reflects giants in this list; smaller species may suit experienced aquarists. The water range is for freshwater T. mbu; green-spotted puffers are listed at 75–82°F and are not interchangeable with mbu or marine species. No family-wide salinity is safe. Obtain adult-size and facility assessments for Arothron stellatus and other giants; do not use the toby tank size. These sources do not establish species-specific settings for Sphoeroides testudineus. Puffers can contain tetrodotoxin capable of fatal poisoning if eaten: never consume them or let pets eat them. Dental intervention belongs with a fish veterinarian.
Housing & setup
- Identify species and salinity needs before setup: Tetraodon mbu needs freshwater, Arothron and Canthigaster need marine systems, and green-spotted puffers need a separate salinity plan.
- For adult T. mbu, the cited profile specifies about 240 × 90 × 90 cm (96 × 36 × 36 in), approximately 1,944 litres.
- Marine Canthigaster require around 150 litres; Arothron meleagris require an absolute minimum around 500 litres, preferably twice that; giant species require larger facilities.
- Provide strong biological filtration and regular waste removal; large marine puffers also require effective mechanical filtration and protein skimming.
- Provide rocks, caves and open swimming room, and protect cables and breakable equipment from their beaks.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 75–79°F |
Diet
- Snails and hard-shelled molluscs such as mussels or cockles for shell-crushing species.
- Shell-on crustaceans or crab legs sized to the fish.
- For Canthigaster, small portions of chopped prawn, frozen Mysis and algal foods.
Social life
- Keep T. mbu alone: it can severely injure other fish and is aggressive to conspecifics. Marine tobies commonly nip trailing fins; puffers can consume aquarium invertebrates. Assess compatibility by species and individual.
Handling
- Never deliberately induce inflation.
- Keep fingers and vulnerable equipment away from the beak.
Health watch
- Overgrown teeth interfering with feeding.
- Overfeeding and diet-related health problems.
- Water-quality illness associated with heavy waste production.
Understanding the animal
This species is part of a group that hobbyists, aviculturists or zoos keep widely (Pufferfish), so it's included for completeness. It may be rare in captivity itself, or not kept at all. Use the group guide as a starting point and look for species-specific advice from experienced keepers.
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater, in rivers and streams. Uses both the bottom and open water. Specimens typically caught along bank vegetation in large rivers. The specimen from Sambas were obtained amongst submerged bank vegetation. The water was murky brown, with pH about 6.0. Syntopic species include Rasbora tornieri, R. bankanensis, Doryichthys deokhatoides, Brachygobius doriae and Dermogenys sp. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, pH 6. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Carinotetraodon irrubesco, known commonly as the red-tail dwarf puffer, is a freshwater pufferfish found only in the lower Banyuasin basin in South Sumatra and the Sambas River in West Kalimantan, both in Indonesia. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Appearance and size | Carinotetraodon irrubesco is a small pufferfish growing to around 44 mm. Like other species in its genus, sexual dimorphism is apparent. Males are larger and colored brown with creamy stripes on the flanks and the dorsal surface, while females are smaller and mottled brown in color, with irregular markings on the ventral surface. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Specimens typically caught along bank vegetation in large rivers. The specimen from Sambas were obtained amongst submerged bank vegetation. The water was murky brown, with pH about 6.0. — FishBase |
| History and naming | Carinotetraodon irrubesco can be found in the aquarium trade (otherwise, it has no commercial importance), and hence finds its way to home aquaria. In the wild, this fish lives in an environment with an abundance of vegetation (which it uses to hide from predators), so it is best to keep it in a heavily planted tank to make it feel safe and secure. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Average of sources1.8in
Maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Reported68–82°F
Range the species tolerates; aim for the middle.
pH
Reported6–7.5
Water hardness
Reported2–12dGH
Minimum tank footprint
Reported24in
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 24 × 12 in (about 14 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish — tetraodon mbu Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish — tetraodon nigroviridis Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Practical Fishkeeping — Marine puffer fish: The inflation great! Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Practical Fishkeeping — Pufferfish: Inflated egotists Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Natural History Museum — Pufferfish: An underwater balloon of death? Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Merck Veterinary Manual — Disorders and Diseases of Fish Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
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