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Dog-faced Puffer

Black-spotted Puffer ~ Hush Puppy Puffer

Family: TetraodontidaeArothron nigropunctatusPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   This is a favorite among the puffers, probably because the Dog-faced Puffer or Black-spotted Puffer looks like such a nice guy, look at that face!

   The Dog-faced Puffer or Black-spotted Puffer are often exported from asia as juveniles. They make a special pet that can recognize their care givers and become visibly excited when given attention. Make sure you have a fairly large aquarium if you plan on growing this one up, it can reach up to 16" (40 cm)!

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Marine Aquarium

Maintenance difficulty:    Although the Dog-faced Puffer or Black-spotted Puffer is easy to feed and generally hardy, they require special care and a special diet to stay healthy.

Maintenance:
  Puffers have strong teeth that grow throughout their lives. They need to be offered hard shelled live food often to keep their teeth worn down. For a better explanation and links to the practice of puffer dentistry (if needed) please read here. Because they eat a meaty diet and are often messy eaters, puffers will produce a large bio load on the biological filter of your aquarium requiring frequent water changes and good maintenance practices.

Habitat: Natural geographic location:    Dog-faced Puffer or Black-spotted Puffer are found in the Indo-Pacific. Islands of Micronesia and Samoa to East Africa. This is a species found on or near coral reefs.

Foods:  Puffers are primarily predatory fish in the wild, though they do graze on algae as well. Acceptable foods include shellfish, crustaceans and hard shelled foods such as snails. A large variety of all kinds of live and frozen meaty foods are best. It is best to feed small amounts several times a day. Some of the suggested frozen foods include prawn, crabs/crabs legs, bloodworms (live or frozen), blackworms (live or frozen), silversides, and mussels. Be sure to wash these foods thoroughly before feeding. Live foods can include snails, crabs, crayfish, shrimp (these are good for keeping their teeth trimmed), and earthworms. Live fish will also be eaten but it is thought it may cause problems such as 'fatty" liver and so should be fed sparingly or not at all.. Puffers are not picky eaters and will quickly become adapted to a variety of prepared aquarium foods and an occasional algae wafer. Flake food is not recommended. Even though they may eat it, puffers will not thrive on it.

Social Behaviors:    Generally this fish is not aggressive. Just make sure he doesn't think any other fish are meant to be dinner.

Sex: Sexual differences:    Unknown.

Light: Recommended light levels:    No special requirements.

Temperature:    No special requirements. Normal temperatures for marine fish is between 74 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit.

Length/Diameter of fish:    Dog-faced Puffer or Black-spotted Puffer adults can grow to 40.0 cm (16 inches).

Minimum Tank Length/Size:    A minimum 100 gallon aquarium is recommended.

Water Movement: Weak, Moderate, Strong    No special requirements.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom    No special requirements.

Availability:    This fish is available from time to time.

• Arothron nigropunctatus : $159.99
• Arothron nigropunctatus : $59.99
• Arothron nigropunctatus : $39.99
• Arothron nigropunctatus : $49.99
• Arothron nigropunctatus : $59.99

Black Blackspotted Puffer Arothron Nigropunctatus Large Offered By: That Pet Place Price: $159.99

Dogface Puffer Arothron Nigropunctatus Large Fob 8 Next Day Offered By: Pets Warehouse Price: $59.99

Dogface Puffer Arothron Nigropunctatus Med Fob 6 Next Day Offered By: Pets Warehouse Price: $39.99

Blackspotted Puffer Arothron Nigropunctatus Small Offered By: That Pet Place Price: $49.99

Blackspotted Puffer Arothron Nigropunctatus Medium Offered By: That Pet Place Price: $59.99

Lastest Comments on Dog-faced Puffer View all 18 comments on Dog-faced Puffer Add Your Comment

tiff - 2011-06-02 I just had my dogface puffer for about a month, and she turns a darker color sometimes, and shes always resting on a rock or the gravel at the bottom of the tank. Is this normal? Can someone tell me what to they feed their dogface............. Charlie Roche - 2011-06-02 Yes, the dog face puffer will change colors. They don't usually do this in an aquarium enviornment but they can. They do it very naturally in their own natural habitat. So don't worry about that one. OK feeding........ Puffers are primarily predatory fish though they do graze on algae as well. Acceptable foods include shellfish, crustaceans and hard shelled foods such as snails. A large variety of all kinds of live and frozen meaty foods are best. It is best to feed small amounts several times a day. Some of the suggested frozen foods include prawn, crabs/crabs legs, bloodworms (live or frozen), blackworms (live or frozen), silversides, and mussels. Be sure to wash these foods thoroughly before feeding. Live foods can include snails, crabs, crayfish, shrimp (these are good for keeping their teeth trimmed), and earthworms. Live fish will also be eaten but it is thought it may cause problems such as 'fatty" liver and so should be fed sparingly or not at all.. Puffers are not picky eaters and will quickly become adapted to a variety of prepared aquarium foods and an occasional algae wafer. Flake food is not recommended. Even though they may eat it, puffers will not thrive on it. Reply

Brendan Cox - 2012-02-19 I just bought a yellow bellied dog faced puffer. It is very active at night, but during the day it just lays under a rock until feeding time. It has a healthy appetite. Is this normal? Jeremy Roche - 2012-02-20 Very normal Brendan! They can be a bit shy when intoduced into a new tank. I use to hand feed mine krill with tongs to get them comfortable. Once comfortable they have amazing clownish personalities. Reply

kathy - 2012-01-29 Our new Black Spotted Puffer, Tbow's eyes turned cloudy and now green. Any idea what this could be? Charlie Roche - 2012-01-30 Scroll to symptoms in the Animal World article Fish Diseases Reply

Chip Kramer - 2011-09-20 We have a dog face puffer, Smiley, he was being harassed by a wrass who we have removed from the tank. Since then he has been hiding in the corners and has stopped eating krill. It almost seems he forgot how to eat. He must be eating snails in the tank as he doesn't look like he is starving. Now he comes up to the front of the tank like he used to when feeding and i can put krill in his open mouth but he wont eat the krill. should we be looking for different food? Charlie Roche - 2011-09-21 Some ideas on foods in the Animal World article on Dog Face Puffer. They like their meat so maybe just got tired of the same thing and wants a variety. Good suggestions and variety on feedong the puffer in the article though so please read. Thanks a bunch. robert - 2012-01-26 Hi I have a 7 inch stars and stripe puffer and eats anything but will not eat krill, but loves prawns and muscles and fresh squid. Even gets mouth fulls of coral sand like a gobby filtering it for food. Reply

Rachel - 2010-11-20 Mrs.O'leary, our dog faced puffer fish, is very very sweet, not to mention smart. She always recognizes when it's feeding time and she also lets us hand feed her. Sometimes she will even pull her lips back to show her teeth, almost like she is smiling at us :) I would recommend this fish to anyone who is looking for a lovable addition to their tank. aj difuntorum - 2011-10-17 awwwwe lucky I want one!!! :) also how many gallons is your tank? I'm planning on getting a 50 gallon Reply

christy - 2011-04-27 OK, I have had my dog face puffer for a month now and like the others it would do its tricks. It was eating normal and then about a week later it stoped eating and he changed a little darker color and didn't swim. He just sat at bottom of tank. Then after a couple of days he was fine. Now he has changed a darker color than before and his eyes look gray like a blind eye. I am very worried. Do you know what this is or what I can do? Charlie Roche - 2011-04-28 From what I have read, puffers do change color so that would appear to be normal. When you say his "eyes look grey" I don't know. However, click on Fish Diseases and Ttreatment and fany of the symptoms match what you see onn you Puffer. If so, the recommended treatment is listed. Shamrock Cox - 2011-09-12 Dog face puffers don't like change. They do change color depending on there mood. My one will pose for the camera but if you hold it over him he will turn dark grey almost black. Young dog face are very timid and will off-tern sit on the bottom normally in a corner or under a power head ,however if they are swimming with their tails bent this is a sign of stress. Hope this is of help Reply

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