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No federal permit to keepRedline pufferfish
Tetraodon pustulatus
Fishes › Pufferfish (Tetraodontiformes) › Tetraodontidae (Pufferfish)
Tetraodon pustulatus, commonly known as the Cross River pufferfish or Redline pufferfish, is a species of freshwater pufferfish endemic to the Cross River system in south-western Nigeria.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 60 in long and 30 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 15.7 in / 40 cm).
- Water: Freshwater (tolerates brackish).
- Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
- 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 59 × 24 in (roughly 143 US gallons); space needed is rated “very large tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 68–82 °F, pH 6.5–7.5, 5–26 dGH.
- Behaviour: kept alone; suited to a community tank.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Due to the inquisitive nature of this species, the aquarium should be well decorated with bogwood, rocks and other forms of enrichment, though plenty of swimming space should still be afforded.”
- Diet: “In nature, the Cross River Puffer should be considered primarily a molluscivore, though they also show opportunistic tendencies.”
- Tankmates: “As a predator of mainly slow/ sessile organisms, the Cross River Pufferfish can be considered a community fish, provided tank mates are chosen carefully.”
- Breeding: “This species has not been reproduced in captivity, but presumably not dissimilar to Tetraodon mbu.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
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.
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
About this animal
About this animal
It belongs to the family Tetraodontidae and is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to its restricted distribution and ongoing habitat degradation.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Redline pufferfish” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
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 and brackish water. Stays near the bottom. Juveniles and adults are common in the mainstream river. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater / brackish water. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
What this means for care
- It tolerates or needs brackish water; check salinity needs before setup.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 91°F (up to 97°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 70°F (down to 67°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 79–82°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 78–81% on average (driest month about 70%) |
| Rainfall | about 2464 mm a year |
Measured at 6 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
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 | Tetraodon pustulatus, commonly known as the Cross River pufferfish or Redline pufferfish, is a species of freshwater pufferfish endemic to the Cross River system in south-western Nigeria. It belongs to the family Tetraodontidae and is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to its restricted distribution and ongoing habitat degradation. — 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 | Tetraodon pustulatus reaches approximately 36 cm in length. It resembles T. lineatus but typically has a shorter body, broader head, thicker lips, smaller eyes, and darker or red-toned colouration with reduced vertical striping. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Juveniles and adults are common in the mainstream river. Ventral pocket communicates gill chamber with oesophagus, allowing the fish to inflate its body like a ball. Liver and sexual organs are poisonous, but fishermen of the upper Cross carefully remove them and eat the flesh of this species. — FishBase |
| History and naming | The species was described in 1857 by Andrew Murray. It is one of several large African riverine puffers forming the African Tetraodon complex. For much of the twentieth century, T. pustulatus was regarded as a regional form of Tetraodon lineatus, but molecular and morphological studies now confirm that the two are distinct species. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Conservation | The species is assessed as Endangered under IUCN criteria B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii). Its habitat faces pressure from logging, agriculture, and mining, which increase sedimentation and mineral load. Collection for the aquarium trade is limited but may contribute to local decline. — 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
Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates; aim for the middle.
pH
Water hardness
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 59 × 24 in (about 143 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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