We received this beautiful species of brackish water puffer from Thailand. The species Chelonodon patoca has a wide distrubution in the Indian Ocean. It is often placed in the genus Chelonodontops in recent times. Adult specimens – the species becomes up to 30 cm long – usually live in the sea, while young fish live in brackish water and swim occassionally far upstreams. It is best to keep them in brackish water.
Sadly many individuals of that beautiful fish become fin biters. So one should keep them only along with fast fish that can avoid the attacks of the puffer. Otherwise C. patoca is easy to keep and – like most pufferfishes – very interesting. One should have a sandy bottom in the aquarium, as C. patoca likes to burry itself from time to time.
For our customers: the fish have code 409802 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
