What do puffer fish like to eat

Did you know that most puffer fish, when eaten, are toxic to predators—and even humans? According to Claricoates, despite this risk, countries such as Korea, China and Japan consider puffer fish a culinary delicacy and only specially-trained chefs know how to serve them safely. The toxin in the puffer fish, called tetrodotoxin, is found throughout its body, and is actually produced by bacteria, said Dr.

Puffers that have been raised in a bacteria-free environment experimentally did not produce the toxin in that instance. However, the the chefs who prepare Fugu , or puffer fish fillets, were not interested in serving a fish that did not have the toxin, as the numbing effect from the toxin when the fish is eaten is the appeal of eating puffer fish, he said.

Even with proper preparation by a trained chef, about a half dozen diners die every year from the paralyzing effects of eating puffer fish, so they should generally not be considered food. Despite using their fins to help them swim with a tail fin acting as a rudder , puffer fish are notoriously slow-moving.

However, they do have other methods for deterring—or defeating—predators out to get them, said Claricoates, including:. Puffer fish do not have scales, but instead have spines which you may not be able to get a good look at until they puff up , said Claricoates. As a fish owner, you have to be sure that the water quality is excellent—specifically nitrite, nitrate and ammonia levels in your tank. If these levels are high, it often indicates a dirty tank, and can create health issues for your fish, she said.

Water checks can be done by fish stores for you on a monthly basis or you can purchase a home kit to test your water, she said. A puffer fish, if kept in an ideal environment, can live up to ten years. In the wild, puffer fish are predators, and eat a variety of snails, shellfish, crustaceans and other fish, said Claricoates. In captivity, puffers will eat almost anything, so a variety of foods should be offered to allow for a healthy mix, she said.

Claricoates recommends a diet consisting of foods with shells, including blue crab, mussels, clams, shrimp, live snails and bloodworms. She also advised that when or if you are offering live food, it must be quarantined in a separate aquarium for a month prior to feeding it to your puffer fish.

This ensures the food is healthy and prevents puffer illness from unhealthy food. Complicating matters further is the variety of C. Dwarf puffers are endemic to the Kerala region of India and found in lakes and slow-moving rivers with plenty of submerged vegetation, leaf litter and sunken wood. Their irregular markings provide excellent camouflage and, when viewed from above, are difficult to spot — so helping them avoid predators such as herons.

Water chemistry is variable; from soft and slightly acidic in some places through to harder and more alkaline conditions in others. While dwarf puffers are essentially freshwater fish, in at least some parts of their range, for example the Vembanad wetlands, the water may be slightly brackish. Alongside these fish can be found a variety of others, some familiar, others less so.

Typical constituents of the regional fish fauna include various barbs, danios and rasboras, halfbeaks, and predatory species such as glassfish Parambassis spp.

One of the relatively few Asian cichlids is from this part of the world too — the rarely traded but beautiful Canara pearlspot Etroplus canarensis. While dwarf puffers are easily maintained in groups, they need space and hiding places. Males defend territories and look after the young, so they tend to be the most aggressive.

When first introduced to their new home, dwarf puffers tend to be rather shy. Keeping the lights low will help them settle in quickly and usually by the following day they are actively scooting about looking for food and establishing territories.

Eventually they will become very bold, eagerly swimming to the front of the tank when they see their keeper. Dwarf puffers will not eat flake or pellets and generally have little interest in freeze dried foods, but a variety of live and frozen foods are readily taken, so feeding these fish usually poses no problem. Among enjoyed live foods are small pond snails, Daphnia, earthworms, mosquito larvae and midge larvae.

Live brineshrimp are readily consumed but, since these have little nutritional value, should be merely occasional treats. Almost any small, meaty frozen food will be accepted. Bloodworms, glassworms, black mosquito larvae and krill all make good staples. Occasional morsels of chopped seafood such as squid and mussel can augment the diet which should be varied to avoid problems with vitamin deficiency.

Dwarf puffers are skilled panhandlers, quickly learning to train their owners to feed them on demand! Feed them small amounts, two or three times per day, so they have gently rounded but not swollen abdomens.

Remove uneaten food quickly to avoid problems with water quality. Water quality needs to be excellent. To ensure good water quality, filtration should be between four and six times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. Some stories describe dead dwarf puffers being found inside filters, but whether they were sucked in post mortem or while alive is open to conjecture. Managing nitrate involves minimising the food that goes into the tank while maximising the amount of water that comes out.

Ideal conditions would be around pH 7. Very small tanks often have inadequate filtration systems and dwarf puffers will not tolerate elevated levels of ammonia or nitrite for long. Small tanks also experience bigger pH drops between water changes than bigger tanks and, while adaptable, these puffers do not like rapid pH changes any more than other tropical fish.

Bright lighting is neither required nor appreciated, so it generally makes sense to choose plants that do not need high levels of light. Java moss, Java fern, Anubias, and hardy species of Cryptocoryne such as C. Fast-growing floating plants such as Limnobium laevigatum are also useful to provide shade and cover while helping to remove nitrate. Try to not overfeed them; they are very good at earning more food by doing things to try and impress you such as squirting water at the top of the tank.

Breeding puffers in captivity is very difficult. Different species require different water parameters and conditions. Generally, puffer fish are extremely protective of their eggs however when hatched the parents will probably eat them.

Providing enough food for the fry is very difficult and they are very sensitive to water quality. You can feed them brine shrimp and infusoria. As all of these challenges make breeding these fish and raising their fry incredibly difficult but very rewarding. Puffer fish are found across tropical water bodies, from freshwater to marine environments.

There are at least 30 species of freshwater puffer fish around the world, all different in sizes and colors. They are well known for their ability to puff up as a defense mechanism, a characteristic which they have evolved to protect themselves.

These fish are recommended for experienced aquarists due to their special feeding needs and sensitivity to water conditions. Even though their temperament is aggressive, they are very intelligent and will soon grow to recognize you, especially during feeding times.

I have been able to identify my fish as female. I would like to know more about habits and behaviors and any other advice to keep my puffer happy and well adjusted. Thanks, Robert. Do you guys possibly know? Hi Sevi, you can keep them together as long as there is only one male. Hi sevi I have 7 pea puffers in a29 gallon tank with wood and some live plants and moss and with some Cory catfish and they do great together I feed them frozen bloodworms and frozen brinshrimp.

Bought a spotted puffer at Walmart lol, I know.. I have a fahaka puffer that is about a year and a half old, in a 75 g tank. Maybe time to remove the other fish… or is he possibly getting too big for the tank?

Thank you. My puffer refuses to eat. Have tried feeding him w a stick, water conditions are good. I feed him mostly shrimp and snails. Maybe add a live fish in there to get yours entertained or switch up food. If new, maybe that could be the case too. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Resources » Freshwater Fish » Freshwater Puffer Fish Puffer fish are chubby yet cute-looking fish that are found all over the world. Freshwater Fish. December 17, Robert.

April 18, Robert. March 16, Robert. About Robert Articles. Robert Woods is the creator of FishKeeping World, a third-generation fish keeper, and a graduate in animal welfare and behavior.

Thanks, Robert Reply. Hi sevi I have 7 pea puffers in a29 gallon tank with wood and some live plants and moss and with some Cory catfish and they do great together I feed them frozen bloodworms and frozen brinshrimp Reply.