Care
The curious Hairy Pufferfish is known from the vast Mekong River and its tributaries. Here it is found in rocky habitats amongst swiftly flowing, highly oxygenated waters, where it is habitually observed nestled tightly in between crevices in the rocks on the substrate, ready to ambush any small fish or crustaceans that venture past. The Hairy Puffer requires a good sized, mature aquarium with a soft, sandy substrate and plenty of rocky caves and crevices to hide between. As these fish are voracious eaters and can create a fair amount of waste, decent filtration should be employed (an external canister is ideal). There should be areas of moderate water movement and a high level of oxygenation, perhaps achieved by a powerhead with flow diverter angled up towards the surface of the water, or by keeping a slightly dropped water line so that water returning from the filter splashes down onto the water's surface. Hairy Puffers are belligerent, territorial fish, and generally, should only be kept singly in a species-only aquarium. On occasion, however, compatible mated pairs are available, and this is the only circumstance in which two can be kept together. Even so, do observe very carefully and be ready to separate them if the need arises. If two incompatible fish are placed together, much aggression will ensue, with the fish inflicting serious bite wounds on one another with their beak-like mouths, which can end up being deadly. The same outcome will await any other fish species in the confines of the same aquarium, so never house Hairy Puffers with tankmates. In the case of being fortunate enough to maintain a compatible pair, do ensure that there are plenty of visual barriers amongst the rockwork and driftwood, should the fish need to spend time apart and out of the line of sight of the other. Robust plants are also safe with these fish, and can be used to create additional hiding places. As with other puffer species, this fish can inflate when frightened or cornered. It should never be provoked into doing so, and never above water where it can take on air, which can prove fatal. If moving a Hairy Puffer to larger quarters, the fish should be herded into a solid container under the water so as to remove the necessity of netting and lifting it clear of the water. Hairy Puffers are capable of fairly dramatic colour change, depending on their surroundings or mood. It is thought that mature male fish display a greater number of cirri on the body, compared to females of a similar size and age. Interestingly, juveniles of less than 3cm (1.2") SL exhibit no cirri at all. As a scaleless species, be aware that these fish are very sensitive to medications. Lastly, please remember that pufferfish can vary in temperament, and there may be exceptions to the expected behaviour of the species - even a pair that has been deemed 'compatible'. It is always a good idea to have some sort of tank divider - or even a spare aquarium - handy, should circumstances necessitate their use. Hairy Puffers are intolerant of poor water quality - as already mentioned above, make use of a decent filtration system and perform plenty of regular partial water changes.
Feeding
Meaty frozen food such as Mysis shrimp, mussels, krill, shell-on prawns, crayfish tails, crab legs cockles, cockle-in-shell (partially open these so that the puffer can smell the food and has to bite at the hard shell to get at the cockle) etc. Will eat snails. Hard-shelled foods should be offered on a regular basis in order to keep the beak in check.
Breeding
This species has not been bred in the home aquarium, likely due to the rarity of compatible pairs being imported.
