Edit Carinotetraodon lorteti

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Name

Scientific name

Carinotetraodon lorteti

Described by

Authority Tirant, Year 1885, Bracketed

Family

Tetraodontidae

Common names

Redeye Puffer

Photograph credits

All 2 credited

Summary

The redeye puffer, Carinotetraodon lorteti, is a small freshwater puffer from the lower Mekong basin and the Chao Phraya watershed in Indoc…

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

60mm, standard length

Aquarium size

Minimum length 60 cm, Minimum depth 30 cm, Minimum height 30 cm, Water movement Low: still or sluggish water

Water

Water conditions

Temperature 20–28°C, pH 5–7.5

Hardness

1–12dGH

Conductivity

Not recorded

Behaviour

Temperament

Species tank only

Community suitability

Not for a community

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Chao Phraya, Mekong, Tonlé Sap

Writing

Etymology

Carinotetraodon: from the Latin carina, meaning 'keel', and the generic name Tetraodon, within which members have formerly been included. lorteti: presumably n…

Distribution

Known from the lower Mekong basin in Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, the Chao Phraya watershed in central Thailand, and may occur in smaller river systems bet…

Habitat

Inhabits slow-moving to standing water in shady forest streams, minor tributaries, and floodplains. Aquatic or dense riparian vegetation often grows densely in…

Aquarium size

An aquarium with dimensions of 60 ∗ 30 ∗ 30 cm or equivalent should be the smallest considered.

Maintenance

This species requires a well-decorated aquarium with driftwood roots or branches plus plenty of aquatic plants, of which floating varieties can be used to prov…

Water conditions

Not written yet

Diet

Tetraodontids lack true teeth, the jawbone itself being modified into four fused toothlike structures. These grow continuously at a surprising rate, so offer r…

Behaviour and compatibility

Unsuitable for the general community aquarium and best maintained alone due to its tendency to bite the fins of tankmates, especially in smaller aquaria. It is…

Sexual dimorphism

Adult males possess well-developed dorsal and ventral keels on the body, which are erected during threat displays and courtship. In addition, males possess a u…

Reproduction

This species has been bred in aquaria. Courtship is initiated by the male and characterised by an intensified colour pattern plus displays involving the dorsal…

Notes

C. lorteti is included in a group often referred to as 'red-eyed puffers', which currently contains four recognised species distributed in Indochina and the Gr…

C. lorteti is included in a group often referred to as 'red-eyed puffers', which currently contains four recognised species distributed in Indochina and the Greater Sunda Islands. It can be distinguished from C. borneensis, C. irrubesco, and C. salivator, the remaining members of this group, by the following combination of characters: 12-13 dorsal-fin rays; 14 pectoral-fin rays; 11-12 anal-fin rays; 11 caudal-fin rays; eyes not bulging above the head; in males dorsal-fin reddish, black spot on dorsal-fin base present, pectoral-fin base hyaline, anal-fin reddish with black spot at base, caudal-fin greyish proximally and black with white edge distally, throat unmarked, no bars on body; in females ventral surface unmarked or with faint spots, 4-5 bars on caudal-fin.

Carinotetraodon is distinguished from other genera within the family Tetraodontidae by the presence of distinctive dorsal and ventral keels in males, plus distinct sexual dimorphism in terms of both morphology and colour pattern. Tetraodontidae is the most speciose group among Tetraodontiformes and its members mostly inhabit coastal waters in South America, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia. It is the only tetraodontiform family in which a number of members exclusively inhabit freshwater, and genetic evidence suggests that the timing of these invasions differed, occurring around 0–10 million years ago (MA) in South America, 17–38 MA in Central Africa and 48–78 MA in Southeast Asia.

Tetraodontids are commonly referred to as ‘puffers’ due to the ability of many species to inflate their body to an enormous size when stressed or threatened. This is achieved by drawing water into a specialised ventral diverticulum of the stomach, although air can also be used if the fish is removed from the water. As a result of these morphological adaptations puffers swim via a unique combination of pectoral and median fin undulations referred to as ‘diodontiform’ swimming. They are also able to produce sounds by grinding the jaw/pharyngeal teeth or vibrating the swim bladder. Puffers are secondary freshwater fishes, with the majority of members exclusively inhabiting marine environments.

Other defining characters of tetraodontids include a tough skin usually covered with small spines, a beak-like dental plate divided by a median suture, a reduced gill opening anterior to the pectoral-fin base, no pelvic fins or spinous fin rays, typically short-based dorsal and anal fins, and no ribs.

Puffer flesh is toxic and can cause clinical poisoning and human mortality, although it is regarded as a delicacy in certain countries. The predominant toxin, usually either tetrodotoxin or saxitoxin, is dependant on species, geographic area, and time of year. The toxins are not produced by the fishes themselves, but by bacteria living in symbiotic association, or they are acquired via the food chain.

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Name

Scientific name

Described by

Family

Common names

Photograph credits

Summary

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

Aquarium size

Water

Water conditions

Hardness

Conductivity

Behaviour

Temperament

Social needs

Community suitability

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Writing

Etymology

Distribution

Habitat

Aquarium size

Maintenance

Water conditions

Diet

Behaviour and compatibility

Sexual dimorphism

Reproduction

Notes

References

References