Greenbottle Pufferfish (Auriglobus nefastus)

Greenbottle Pufferfish (Auriglobus nefastus)

Greenbottle Pufferfish (Auriglobus nefastus)

The Greenbottle Pufferfish (Auriglobus nefastus) is also called the Bottle Puffer and erroneously the Golden Puffer by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts.  It is found in the Mekong River basin of Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand; as well as many areas of Malaysia and Indonesia.

The Greenbottle Puffer is a bottom dwelling species that is found in moving waters of rivers, streams, and in the flooded plains and forests that occur during seasonal high water levels when the rivers overflow their banks.

Greenbottle Pufferfish are an aggressive species that primarily feeds on fish fins, rays, and scales.  They are extremely active for puffer fish and should never be included in a community aquarium.  Young specimens often frantically dart around the tank and can create havoc with their tank mates.

Greenbottle Pufferfish (Auriglobus nefastus)

Greenbottle Pufferfish (Auriglobus nefastus)

There are several pufferfish species that are erroneously called “Greenbottle Pufferfish” by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts.

Auriglobus modestus, Auriglobus nefastus, and Chonerhinos silus are commonly confused with one another and are quite difficult to tell apart.  Fortunately, they are all similar and require the same care.

The Greenbottle Pufferfish and their counterparts are all “bottle” green in color and have white bellies.  Their bodies are usually without distinct color markings except for a slightly darkened spot on the dorsal surface of their head, behind their eyes.

Chonerhinos naritus looks similar, but has a yellow belly and is a brackish water species.  Greenbottle Puffers can be distinguished from other species in the Mekong basin by their 23-27 dorsal rays and 19-22 anal rays, their relatively small nasal organ, and their upper lip which usually projects beyond the lower lip.  The exposed part of their eyeball is usually horizontally oval instead of being vertically oval and round.

The sexes of Greenbottle Puffers are indistinguishable and cannot be determined visually.

Like most freshwater pufferfish, the Greenbottle Puffer is highly territorial however, if they are housed in a large tank with plenty of hiding places, they can be kept in groups of three without too much harm being done.

Like most puffers they are messy eaters, and because they are extremely sensitive to ammonia and nitrites, need to be housed in an heavily filtered aquarium.  Never introduce these puffers to a “new” aquarium that has not been adequately cycled.

In an aquarium environment, the Greenbottle Pufferfish will eat live and frozen foods, snails, frozen shrimp, gut loaded ghost shrimp, and occasionally freeze dried krill.  A steady diet of snails or other freshwater crustaceans should be fed to them to prevent their beaks from over growing.

To date, Auriglobus nefastus has never been bred in captivity.

When available for purchase, they are usually 1″ to 1 1/2″ in size.

Greenbottle Pufferfish (Auriglobus nefastus)

Greenbottle Pufferfish (Auriglobus nefastus)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minimum Tank Size: 35 gallons
Care Level: Difficult
Temperament: Aggressive, Hunts and searches out food
Aquarium Hardiness: Moderately Hardy
Water Conditions: 74-80° F, 5-12 °d , pH 6.0-7.8
Max. Size: 4-6 inches
Color Form: Gold, Green
Diet: Carnivore
Origin: Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Lakes and Rivers
Family: Tetraodontidae
Lifespan: 10 years or more
Aquarist Experience Level: Intermediate

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