Listed below are many of the species of puffers which normally inhabit fresh and brackish waters. There is some confusion
regarding the naming of puffer species, especially with regard to the common names used! The scientific names listed below
have been carefully cross-checked with the most up-to-date sources available.
There is also some debate about whether some species are freshwater or brackish. The truth in many cases is that some
species may occasionally wander into both types of water. Therefore, the information given below gives the water in which
it is normally found, or in which it is said to do best in aquaria, according to the majority of reliable sources.
Follow the links to more info on individual species.
Scientific name | Common name | Origin |
Auriglobus modestus | Golden puffer | Asia (FW) |
Carinotetraodon borneensis | Red-Bellied Black puffer New! | Asia (FW) |
Carinotetraodon imitator | Imitating dwarf puffer | Asia (FW) |
Carinotetraodon irrubesco | Red-tailed Redeye puffer | Asia (FW) |
Carinotetraodon lorteti | Lortet's, crested puffer New! | Asia (FW) |
Carinotetraodon salivator | Striped redeye/Zebra puffer New! | Asia (FW) |
Carinotetraodon travancoricus | Dwarf, Pygmy, Indian, Gold/Green puffer | Asia (FW) |
Colomesus asellus | Assel, South American, Brazilian puffer | South America - Amazon basin (FW) |
Colomesus psittacus | Parrot puffer | South America (Brackish) |
Dichotomyctere erythrotaenia | Red-line/band, Samurai puffer, Toadfish | Asia (Brackish) |
Dichotomyctere fluviatilis | Green puffer | Asia (Brackish) |
Dichotomyctere nigroviridis | Green Spotted puffer | Asia (Brackish) |
Dichotomyctere ocellatus | Figure-eight / eyespot puffer | Asia (Brackish) |
Pao abei | Abe's puffer | Asia (FW) |
Pao baileyi | Hairy puffer | Asia (FW) |
Pao cochinchinensis | Target puffer | Asia (FW) |
Pao fangi | Fang's puffer, brown puffer | Asia (FW) |
Pao leiurus | Target, Eye-spot/Twin-spot puffer | Asia (FW) |
Pao palembangensis | Palembang, Humpback puffer | Asia (FW) |
Pao suvattii | Pignose, Mekong, Arrowhead puffer | Asia (FW) |
Pao turgidus | Brown puffer | Asia (FW) |
Tetraodon barbatus | Thai puffer | Asia (FW) |
Tetraodon biocellatus | Figure-eight puffer | Asia (Brackish) |
Tetraodon cutcutia | Common, Malayan, Avacado, Ocellated, Emerald | Asia (FW) |
Tetraodon duboisi | Stanley Pool, Reticulated puffer | Africa (FW) |
Tetraodon lineatus/fahaka | Nile, Banded puffer | Africa (FW) |
Tetraodon mbu | Giant puffer | Africa (FW) |
Tetraodon miurus | Congo puffer | Africa (FW) |
Tetraodon pustulatus | Cross River puffer | Africa (FW) |
Tetraodon schoutedeni | Spotted Congo, Leopard puffer | Africa (FW) |