Tetraodon travancoricus (dwarf
puffer) Hora and Nair, 1941
*aka: Indian puffer,
sea frog, bumblebee puffer, pygmy puffer, abeni puffer, gold puffer, dwarfed
indian puffer, Malabar pufferfish, [invalid: Monotreta travancoricus,
Tetraodon travancorius(misspelling), Monotetrus
trauancoricus. ]
T. travancoricus (female)
T.
travancoricus, the dwarf puffer. (L - R : male,female)
Another
dwarf puffer, the Carinotetraodon imitator (L - R : male, female)
Origin
India
pH Range
7.0
Temp.
71.6 - 82F (22
- 28C)
Hardness
5 - 15dH
Salinity
freshwater
Length
to 1 inch (2.5
cm)
Diet
Live, frozen
The dwarf pufferfish
is a hotly debated topic in nomenclature. It seems there are two
species identified as dwarf pufferfish, and some dissent about where to
place them scientifically. Check the Puffernet credits to get some
in-depth info on the debate, as it is too esoteric and verbose to handle
here. Whether or not there are two distinct species or slight variations
of one species is still under debate. The main distinction between
the two puffers is the Carinotetraodon having a speckled coloration, while
the travancoricus exhhibits a spotted, almost symmetrical pattern.
(IMHO, the difference in body type is somewhat akin to the differences
in T. fluviatilis and T. nigroviridis.) Anyway, as this is an aquarist-oriented
site, I'm more concerned about care than identification, since their needs
are the same. T. travancoricus
(as
per fishbase) is the dwarf pufferfish from the freshwaters of India.
They are becoming increasingly common in the aquarium trade.
It is said
to be a hearty puffer (as far as puffers go), and somewhat aggressive as
well. Larger fish can be kept with these puffers, but expect
some fin nipping to occur. Male dwarfs will become territorial when
confronted with other males, therefore mating pairs of this puffer are
suggested. Sexing the dwarf pufferfish is quite simple. The
males of this species are leaner, with less of a round shape when compared
to the female. A more distinct difference in sexes is the male, who
exhibits a dark ventral line. This line is used to intimidate other
males, and also becomes more pronounced during mating.
The dwarf
puffer enjoys the normal puffer fare of invertebrates, crustacea, and mollusks.
Just take into consideration that this puffer is the smallest of its kind,
and portion accordingly.
Share or read experiences
with the dwarf puffer [ share
] [ read
]
