Can I keep a Figure Eight Puffer in freshwater?

While they can survive in freshwater for a time and are often sold in it, long-term health and lifespan are significantly improved when kept in low-end brackish water (SG 1.004–1.008).

How do I stop my puffer's teeth from overgrowing?

You must feed them hard-shelled foods regularly. Small aquatic snails (like bladder or ramshorn snails), mussels, and tiny crustaceans wear down their teeth naturally as they eat.

Will my Figure Eight Puffer inflate in the aquarium?

Puffers only inflate when severely stressed or frightened. A healthy, content puffer will not puff up, and you should never intentionally scare them into doing so, as it causes immense stress.

Are they safe to keep with shrimp or snails?

No. Invertebrates like shrimp and snails are the natural prey of the Figure Eight Puffer and will be rapidly hunted and eaten if introduced to the tank.

How many can I keep together?

They are naturally solitary and territorial. While multiple can be kept in a very large, heavily decorated aquarium to break up lines of sight, many keepers prefer keeping a single specimen to avoid serious aggression.

BrackishTropicalIntermediate

Figure Eight Puffer

Dichotomyctere ocellatus

The Figure Eight Puffer is an intelligent, highly engaging brackish fish famous for its expressive face and hovering swimming style.

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Ideal Conditions

Temperature: 24 – 28 °C
pH range: 7.5 – 8.5
Hardness: 10 – 20 dGH
Salinity: 1.004 – 1.008 SG
Adult size: 6 – 8 cm
60L for a single specimen; larger for a community setup: 60 litres+
Lifespan: 10 – 15 years
Diet: Carnivore. Requires hard-shelled foods such as aquatic snails, small crabs, and mussels to wear down their constantly growing teeth, supplemented with bloodworms and brine shrimp.
Water flow: moderate
Preferred setup: Provide a complex environment with plenty of visual barriers, such as mangrove roots, smooth rocks, and hardy brackish-tolerant plants like Java Fern. A sandy substrate is preferred.

About the Figure Eight Puffer

Boasting a striking labyrinth of yellow-green markings atop a deep brown body, the Figure Eight Puffer is a captivating oddball for the dedicated aquarist. Known scientifically as Dichotomyctere ocellatus, this species earns its common name from the distinct ocelli—or 'eye spots'—often resembling a figure eight on its back. They are incredibly intelligent, frequently learning to recognise their owners and begging for food at the glass. Unlike many conventional aquarium fish, they lack pelvic fins, relying instead on highly mobile pectoral fins for a fascinating, helicopter-like manoeuvrability.

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Is it right for your tank?

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Where Figure Eight Puffer comes from

Native range

Southeast Asia, Mekong Delta, Kapuas River basin

Countries / regions

Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia

Habitat

Inhabits sluggish freshwater rivers, streams, and coastal brackish estuaries, particularly in mangrove swamps.

Widely distributed across Indochina and the Greater Sunda Islands.

Similar species

Green Spotted Puffer
Dichotomyctere nigroviridis
Dwarf Pea Puffer
Carinotetraodon travancoricus
Amazon Puffer
Colomesus asellus

We’re adding more full species guides as the catalogue grows.

Compatible tank mates

Reviewed guidance based on this species' recorded traits.

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Bumblebee Goby
Brachygobius doriae
Shares identical low-brackish water requirements, but their small size means you must monitor the puffer to ensure it does not harass or attempt to bite them.
Compatible with caution
Knight Goby
Stigmatogobius sadanundio
An appropriately sized, robust brackish species that occupies the lower levels and can usually hold its own against a wandering puffer.
Great
Molly
Poecilia sphenops
Thrives in brackish conditions and is fast enough to evade the puffer, but long-finned varieties may still fall victim to fin-nipping.
Compatible with caution
Corydoras Catfish
Corydoras spp.
Strictly freshwater species that cannot tolerate the puffer's required salt levels, and their fins make tempting targets.
Not recommended
Mystery Snail
Pomacea bridgesii
Puffers are specialized molluscivores. Any snail added to the tank will be quickly harassed and eaten.
Not recommended

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