Care guide at a glance
Diodon holocanthus
Description
A large, comically expressive puffer covered in spines that raise when it inflates. Genuinely interactive, and a serious long-term commitment.
Feeding
Carnivorous with hard-shelled prey. Needs shell-on foods - whole prawn, mussel, clam, crab legs and snails - to wear down continuously growing teeth. Two or three feeds a week.
Compatibility
Not reef safe. Will eat all ornamental shrimp, crabs, snails and small fish. Suitable only with large robust tankmates.
Behaviour and personality
Slow, deliberate and remarkably personable, quickly learning to beg at the glass. Should never be deliberately made to inflate.
Before you buy
Reaches around 35-40 cm and produces a very heavy waste load, so filtration must be substantial. The teeth grow continuously and require hard-shelled food or the fish eventually cannot eat. Never lift one from the water, as trapped air can be fatal.
DX courier delivery is £20 per livestock order.
Delivery is scheduled for your selected delivery date and typically arrives before 1pm.
There is no minimum or maximum order value.
Additional information:
- In-stock livestock orders will be processed and dispatched for delivery on the date selected on the cart/basket page.
- Available delivery days are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
- If any stock issues affect your chosen delivery date, we will contact you as soon as possible by email or telephone.
- Shipping for dry goods is charged separately from livestock delivery. Dry goods are dispatched according to our standard delivery policy.
- All livestock remains covered by our 7-day guarantee.