Stars and stripes puffer (Arothron hispidus) care guide

Group
Marine fish
Other names
White-spotted puffer, Tetraodon implutus
Family
Tetraodontidae (pufferfishes)
Origin
Indo-Pacific, Red Sea and eastern Pacific (one record off Cyprus); reefs, lagoons, estuaries and tide pools at 3–35 m.
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
50 cm
Temperature
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
Salinity SG 1.020–1.025
Minimum tank
700 litres
Care level
intermediate
Temperament
semi_aggressive
Reef safe
no

Care

A big, hardy puffer for a large fish-only aquarium with open swimming room. The minimum tank size is an estimate based on the adult size; it is messy, so plan generous filtration. Water figures given here are general marine aquarium guidance, not species-specific: 24–27 °C, pH 8.1–8.4 and a specific gravity of 1.020–1.025 (fish-only systems can run at the lower end). Puffers produce a lot of waste, so strong skimming and regular water changes matter. Adults are solitary, mostly active at night and territorial, and can become fairly aggressive. The body is grey-brown with white spots above and pale stripes on the belly. Toxins: like other pufferfish it carries tetrodotoxin in its skin and organs. Handle it carefully (with a container rather than a net) and never eat it, and a dead or dying puffer should be removed from the tank promptly. Selling: our policies require the adult size and long-term tank needs to be stated clearly in the listing. Large fish must travel by a specialist live-animal courier (see the Livestock shipping guide). Sources: Wikipedia, List of marine aquarium fish species (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listofmarineaquariumfishspecies); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arothronhispidus). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Very broad diet in the wild: coralline algae, molluscs, sea squirts, sponges, corals, zoanthids, crabs, bristleworms, starfish, sea urchins, krill and small fish. In captivity feed shellfish, prawns, crab, krill and mussel, with hard-shelled items to keep the beak worn.

Breeding

Not described in the sources. Not bred in home aquaria.

Compatibility and tank mates

Not reef safe: it will eat almost any invertebrate and coral. Keep one per tank with large, robust fish; it may bite smaller or slow tankmates and will eat small fish.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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