Bennett's Pufferfish

About

Bennett's Pufferfish (Canthigaster bennetti) is one of the smaller members of the sharpnose puffer group, reaching just a few inches at maturity, but it carries itself with the bold confidence the puffer family is known for. Its range is impressively wide, spanning much of the Indo-West Pacific from the coast of East Africa all the way out to the Tuamoto Islands, and from southern Taiwan down to New South Wales, Australia. In the wild it tends to favor sheltered lagoons and inner reef flats, often turning up on algal or silty reefs and among clumps of Sargassum on shallow rubble areas. Not exactly the most glamorous real estate, but that adaptability says something about its hardy nature. Wild fish graze heavily on filamentous green algae and pick at red algae and small invertebrates, and that dietary breadth carries over well to aquarium life. They're generally listed as a beginner-friendly marine fish, which is somewhat unusual for puffers, though the usual caveats apply. Those fused beak-like teeth can make short work of ornamental invertebrates and slow-finned tankmates. Notably, this species is monogamous in the wild. A 55-gallon tank gives a single specimen reasonable room to roam and express its naturally curious, personable behavior.