Pao suvattii

Pao suvattii
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Tetraodontiformes
Family:	Tetraodontidae
Genus:	Pao
Species:	P. suvattii
Binomial name
Pao suvattii (Sontirat, 1989)
Synonyms
Tetraodon suvattii Sontirat, 1989 Monotrete suvattii (Sontirat, 1989)

Pao suvattii,^[2] or Arrowhead puffer, is a species of pufferfish. It is a medium-sized pufferfish, reaching 11.5 cm (4.5 in) SL.^[3] It is also known as a Pignose Puffer or a Mekong Puffer. It is locally common in the Lower Mekong basin, and is exclusively a freshwater fish.^[1]

In Captivity

P. suvatti is among the most aggressive of puffers in captivity. When confronted by an intruder the P. suvatti will first react by staring intently, if the fish refuses to back down P. suvatti will then lower its head and charge the other fish. The Suvatti will then open its mouth and slowly move toward the other fish, if the other fish is still not threatened enough by this, the Suvatti will turn and position its broadside toward the invading fish and inflate its body, it then will swim in front of the fish in a zigzag pattern, it will lower i's head and open its mouth to show its teeth, if the warning of inflation does not scare away the invading fish, the Suvatti will attack the fish and inflict serious wounds or it will kill the fish. Just Like their saltwater cousins,P. suvatti contains tetrodotoxin within their skin, and organs. Normally when P. suvatti are kept as pets they must be kept in an aquarium by themselves as they have a tendency to always be aggressive and hungry,^[4] unless they are well-fed, and thus they will nibble on the other fish's tails, and occasionally will make a meal of the other fish. Because of the Suvatti's eating habits, it should normally only be fed every other day. During a feeding the Suvatti will shoot up to the surface and guzzle down large amounts of food causing it to double in size. The Arrowhead Puffer can be purchased at most pet stores that carry exotic fishes for around 20-30 USD. Basic care would include the feeding of live fish, gut-loaded ghost shrimp, crayfish, and perhaps raw shrimp or mussels. Never overfeed the fish or give it red meat or chicken as this can lead to fatty liver disease, which is usually fatal. For a single species aquarium this fish would make a great pet, and they have been known to live up to 10 years in a well-maintained aquarium - which, as with all puffers, means water changes of 50% each week, with good water movement and absolutely no ammonia or nitrites, and minimal nitrates.

References