£12.00
Out of stock
Carinotetraodon irrubesco are usually shy and fairly easy-going fish, and have been kept successfully in community tanks with fast-moving species such as tetras.
For more information see the description section below.
Come down to Wholesale Tropicals in Bethnal Green to see our fantastic stock.
The red-eye puffers are a quartet of species that are only rarely traded but are eagerly sought out by discerning aquarists. One species, Carinotetraodon lorteti, has been kept infrequently by aquarists for decades, but the three other species, Carinotetraodon irrubesco, Carinotetraodon salivator, and Carinotetraodon borneensis, are very rarely traded. Carinotetraodon salivator in particular has become almost legendary in its rarity, being much talked about by aquarists but almost never seen outside of aquarium books. Nonetheless, enterprising retailers have started to bring in these fishes with a bit more frequency, so hopefully more aquarists will be able to try out these wonderfully appealing little fishes.
Part of the attraction of these fishes are their brilliant colours; these are the Apistogramma of the pufferfish world. In breeding condition, male Carinotetraodon salivator, for example, sport a dazzling pattern of brown and yellow stripes across the head and body, topped off with a bright red eyes and tail. Male Carinotetraodon lorteti, on the other hand, has thick yellow bands squiggling across its back and a blue tail edged with white. The males of all species flaunt an orange or red ventral keel when threatening one another or trying to impress a female. It’s a shame that these colours are so mood dependent, because in the overcrowded and brightly lit environment of a retailer’s tank, these pufferfish won’t look their best. But get them home and settled in, and you’ll quickly see why these fish are in such demand!
