Yellow Belly Dogface Puffer

Yellow Belly Dogface Puffer: The Interactive Giant

The Yellow Belly Dogface Puffer (Arothron nigropunctatus) is a highly sought-after color variant of the standard Dogface Puffer, which is also known as the Blackspotted Puffer. This variant is characterized by a bright, attractive golden-yellow underside (ventrally), contrasted by a grey or dark grey upper body (dorsally) and the characteristic black markings around the mouth and eyes that give it its "dog-like" expression.

Hailing from the Indo-Pacific, this large, robust puffer is known for its intelligence and often develops a highly interactive, "pet-like" personality with its owner. It is a substantial fish, reaching an adult length of up to 13 inches (33 cm). Due to its size and exceptionally high bioload (messy eating), a minimum aquarium size of 125 to 180 gallons is required for long-term health, with larger tanks (200+ gallons) highly recommended for adults.

Like all puffers, the Yellow Belly Dogface Puffer is able to rapidly inflate its body with water (or air) when threatened, forming a sphere nearly twice its size. This fish also possesses a potent neurotoxin, Tetrodotoxin (TTX), in its skin and organs, making it poisonous to eat. NEVER intentionally provoke a puffer to inflate, and when moving it, always use a rigid container submerged in water to prevent it from swallowing air, which can be fatal.

Diet & Compatibility:

• Diet: This is a dedicated Carnivore/Omnivore with a powerful beak-like mouth (fused teeth). Its natural diet includes hard-shelled invertebrates and corals. In captivity, a varied, meaty diet is essential, including frozen krill, whole shrimp, squid, scallops, and chunks of marine fish flesh.
• Beak Maintenance: Puffers' teeth grow continuously. It is CRITICAL to provide hard-shelled foods such as whole, in-shell clams, mussels, or oysters at least a couple of times a week to naturally wear down the beak. Failure to do so will result in an overgrown beak, making the fish unable to eat and requiring stressful manual trimming.
• Reef Compatibility: It is NOT Reef Safe. This puffer will systematically eat ornamental invertebrates (shrimp, crabs, snails, sea urchins, etc.) and will nip at or consume corals, especially Acropora tips. It is best suited for a Fish-Only With Live Rock (FOWLR) system with robust filtration.
• Temperament: It is Semi-Aggressive / Predatory. It is generally peaceful toward large, fast-moving, and robust tankmates (e.g., large tangs, eels, some triggerfish, and angelfish) but may nip the fins of slower or long-finned fish. It is best kept as the sole puffer in the tank, as they may quarrel with other puffers of the same genus.

Quick Facts

• Scientific Name: Arothron nigropunctatus
• Primary Common Name: Yellow Belly Dogface Puffer
• Other Common Names: Blackspotted Puffer, Dogface Puffer, Black-spotted Pufferfish
• Origin: Indo-Pacific (Widespread)
• Max Size: 13 inches (33 cm)
• Temperament: Semi-Aggressive / Predatory (Poisonous)
• Diet: Carnivore (Requires hard-shelled foods for beak wear)
• Minimum Tank Size: 125-180+ Gallons
• Reef Compatibility: Not Reef Safe (Will eat invertebrates and corals)