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| Tetraodon miurus Boulenger, 1902 |
The Congo puffer or potato puffer, Tetraodon miurus, is a freshwater pufferfish found in areas of the Congo River in Africa including rapids.
Congo puffers grow to about 15 cm long [1]. In the wild, they feed mainly on fish, but in captivity they will happily eat different foods, such as bloodworms and river shrimp. They are inactive fish, spending most of their time buried in sand or other substrate, with the ability to adapt their colouration to hide from potential prey. However, there are many colour variations within the species, ranging from black to sandy to bright red. Congo puffers are vicious fish and, in captivity, will usually attack or kill anything in their tank with them.
Like all members of the Tetraodon family, the Congo puffer is capable of inflating itself with water or air when stressed or otherwise frightened.
In captivity, Congo puffers require at least a 30 US gallon tank with the temperature between 23° and 26° C. They are sensitive to both nitrites and nitrates, so overfiltration is required. The water pH should be between 6.0 and 7.8.[2] The lifespan and breeding habits of Congo puffers are unknown.
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- This page was last modified on 21 June 2008, at 02:38.
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