Spiny Puffer (Chilomycterus Schoepfi)

Also Known As: Striped Burrfish, Spiny Boxfish

Compatibility and Behavior
The Spiny Box Puffer (Chilomycterus schoepfi) has a look all its own among the puffers we carry. Where a Porcupine Puffer sports long flexible spines, this one is short, boxy, and armored in fixed, stout spines that stay put, giving it a rugged, distinctly wild-ocean profile. The tan-to-yellow base is patterned with dark spots and broken stripes that let it melt into rock and seagrass in nature, and the big expressive eyes and beak-like mouth round out the classic puffer face. Like its relatives, it is a personable fish, and many individuals quickly learn to beg at the front glass and interact with their keeper. Day to day it is a curious, deliberate mover that spends its time exploring the rockwork, picking at meaty bits, and inspecting anything new you add. The reef-safety story is the usual puffer one: it is not reef safe and will readily eat snails, crabs, shrimp, clams, and other inverts, and may nip soft corals or sessile inverts, so it belongs in a fish-only or FOWLR system. It generally coexists with other robust, non-nippy fish of similar temperament, but very small, delicate, or slow tankmates can be harassed or bitten, especially at feeding time. And like all puffers, it can inflate when severely stressed, so handling should always be gentle and planned to avoid forcing it to puff, particularly in air.

Aquarium Requirements
This puffer does best in a spacious, stable system with strong filtration and a mix of open swimming room and secure rockwork. For medium to large specimens in the 2.5 to 4.5 inch range, a tank around 90 to 120 gallons is a realistic starting point, with larger systems preferred for long-term comfort and for housing it alongside other sizable fish. Aquascape with sturdy rock, arches, and caves where the puffer can retreat and rest, and avoid sharp decor or unstable pieces that could injure it if it bumps or inflates. Filtration carries extra weight here, since puffers are messy eaters with a substantial bioload, so plan on powerful biological and mechanical filtration, good surface agitation, and regular water changes. Feeding doubles as dental care: offer meaty foods like shrimp, clam, squid, and krill, and work in hard-shelled items such as crab or clam on the half shell to keep those beak-like teeth worn down. A tight-fitting lid guards against a startled dash to the surface, and calm, consistent conditions keep stress to a minimum.

Specifications
Approximate Size: Md: 2.5–3.5", Lg: 3.5–4.5"
Diet: Carnivore; meaty foods such as shrimp, clam, squid, and krill, plus hard-shelled items like crab or clam on the half shell to help keep the beak-like teeth worn down
Origin: Western Atlantic and Caribbean
Care Level: Intermediate
Reef Safe: No
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 90 gallons for medium specimens, with a larger system required as it grows
Special Considerations: Not reef safe and will prey on inverts and nip corals; needs hard-shelled foods to keep its beak-like teeth worn down; handle and net with care, and avoid forcing it to inflate in air, which can be dangerous for the fish