Order Tetraodontiformes
Family Tetraodontidae
Continued…
Genus Tetraodon.
— Tetraodon miurus [Boulenger, 1902]. (English: Congo Puffer, Red-Brown Congo Puffer, Potato Pufferfish). Middle and lower Congo River. 12-15 cm. It has a large head (approximately 1/3 of the body length) and a rather flat belly. Usually, the body is olive to brown with a mottled pattern consisting of numerous small black spots scattered across the body. This is a chameleon fish, capable of adopting a wide range of colors — red, orange, brown, black, gray marbled, with large spots and stripes. It changes color to mimic its environment or the aquarium substrate.
Relatively freshwater species. They can be sensitive to cool temperatures, so water temperature should be maintained within the recommended range. Some niches for hiding places are necessary. If the substrate is sand or fine gravel, when startled, they quickly burrow into it, leaving only their eyes and a slightly upward-shifted mouth exposed. Therefore, the substrate should be 8 cm thick. In addition to regular live foods, it eats small fish.
In the aquarium, it turns out to be very incompatible, almost never eats snails, but prefers to destroy sluggish fish by simply biting them in half. In the aquarium, it eats shrimp or frozen mussels, and then gradually transitions to other food products. Since they lead a very sedentary lifestyle and are less active, it is best not to feed them more than twice a week. They live up to 10 years. pH 6.5-7.5; dH 10-20°; T 23-28°C.
— Tetraodon mbu [Boulenger, 1899]. (English: Freshwater Puffer Fish, Giant Puffer, Giant Green Puffer, Mbu Puffer). Inhabits Lake Tanganyika and the water bodies of the Central and lower Congo — fresh waters. 65 cm, usually smaller, up to 40 cm. The clumsy, egg-shaped body of puffers tapers sharply towards the tail, the head is large, and the bones of the upper and lower jaws are fused, forming externally visible divisions resembling four large teeth.
The inflated lips of the puffer cover the “beak” formed by the teeth, the eyes are widely spaced, and the gill slits are very small. The tail of the fish is long, making up almost a quarter of the body length. The flanks feature yellow striations on a dark background, lightening towards the back to creamy white. The belly is yellow. Dark spots on the belly are a sign of illness or stress. They can change color depending on mood or for camouflage. Young mbu with their long patterned tails are very beautiful.
An aggressive species; the older they get, the more aggressive they become. It can bite even an inattentive person. It is often necessary to keep them singly or separated by a sturdy lattice partition. Keep in mind that they easily chew through thin plastic netting. At night, it likes to rest on the bottom or in caves. When the substrate layer is thick and sandy, it likes to burrow into the sand so that only its eyes are visible. This species lives only in freshwater. They are sensitive to nitrites and ammonia; frequent water changes of up to 30% are necessary. They live up to 10 years. pH 6.5-7.0; dH 10-20°; T 24-28°C.
Tetraodon nigroviridis, palembangensis, schoutedeni.
Tetraodon cutcutia, fluviatilis, lineatus. 
