Pufferfish Prices in 2024: Purchase Cost by Type, Supplies, Food, and More!

Pufferfish are increasing in popularity as pets, although they have been used as food for centuries. For example in Japan, where they are called fugu, they are prepared ever so delicately to ensure the poisonous part is not eaten. Pufferfish contain a toxin that is deadly to humans. But when it comes to pets, they are friendly fish that love to interact with humans daily. They are communicative fish and have big personalities. If you’re considering having a pufferfish as a pet, it will be hard work, but it will be an enjoyable experience. Let’s take a look at pufferfish prices in 2024. We’ll go over the purchase costs, supplies, food, and more!

Price Range

There are many pufferfish in the world and many of them are for sale. They come in all types of sizes, colors, and variations. The more rare ones will be more expensive, of course. So let’s take a look at the type of pufferfish and the purchase costs for each of them. The price outlined is a rough estimate, as it could change depending on where you buy the fish from.

• Blue Spot Toby Pufferfish (Canthigaster solandri): $70
• Dogface Pufferfish (Arothron nigropunctatus): $100
• Black Dogface Pufferfish (Arothron nigropunctatus): $450
• Porcupine Pufferfish (Diodon holocanthus): $80
• Dalmatian Pufferfish (Arothron nigropunctatus): $600
• Golden Pufferfish (Aronthron meleagris): $1,000
• Guinea Fowl Pufferfish (Aronthron meleagris): $300
• Honeycomb Toby Pufferfish (Canthigaster janthinoptera): $30
• Immaculate Pufferfish (Aronthron immaculatus): $40
• Leopard Toby Pufferfish (Canthigaster leoparda): $70
• Manila Pufferfish (Aronthron manilensis): $40
• Mappa Pufferfish (Aronthron mappa): $175
• Masked Pufferfish (Aronthron diadematus): $300
• Orbiculate Pufferfish (Cyclichthys orbicularis): $70
• Reticulated Pufferfish (Aronthron reticularis): $70
• Saddle Toby Pufferfish (Canthigaster coronata): $40
• Sharpnose Toby Pufferfish (Canthigaster rostrata): $30
• Starry Pufferfish (Arothron stellatus): $150
• Stars n’ Stripes Pufferfish (Arothron hispidus): $40
• Valentini Toby Pufferfish (Canthigaster valentini): $50
• Whitespotted Toby Pufferfish (Canthigaster jactator): $35
• Yellow Belly Dogface Pufferfish (Arothron nigropunctatus): $250

Factors Affecting Pufferfish Prices

Small pufferfish are less expensive than larger pufferfish because of the quality and quantity of food you have to provide, as well as the water and tank size you need. Another factor that will affect pufferfish pricing is the rarity of the pufferfish.

Purchase Considerations

Before you buy a pufferfish, you need to know that this is an expensive fish to maintain. Some varieties of pufferfish can cost in the hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars. When it comes to maintenance, the costs are even greater. Why? Pufferfish are delicate fish and require special consideration to ensure they thrive in your environment.

Water and Habitat

A minimum of 29 gallons should be kept in your tank for small pufferfish, but if you have a large pufferfish, then you will need a larger aquarium. You should ensure your aquarium has a proper filtration system with water circulation. Water quality needs to be stable and water temperature set perfectly for your pufferfish. An aquatic heater is recommended to maintain water temperature at a good level. 

In terms of decoration in the aquarium, a rocky decor is best so the fish can have hiding places. You should also have plenty of room for the fish to swim about, so it’s best not to have the aquarium too cluttered.

Diet

Pufferfish are carnivores. To ensure your pufferfish thrives, the following foods are the best for their diet. You should feed them chopped squid, shrimp, krill, and clams. Frozen foods or carnivorous pellets are also good. Puffers have small teeth that are also growing so it’s best to have shelled foods to ensure the teeth don’t get too big. When it comes to feeding, feed them one to two times per day.

Care

Make sure you change the water every 2-4 weeks and test the water once a week. Always check the temperature and filtration system every day. Because pufferfish are friendly fish, don’t scare or tease them because it could stress them out. Also, don’t overcrowd the aquarium because it could bring about diseases to your precious pufferfish.

Conclusion

And there you have it, those are the pufferfish prices in 2024. Pufferfish make great pets, although they can be hard to handle. Besides having big personalities, you also have to take care of them more delicately than other fish. Making sure you have the exact water amounts, the exact foods they eat, and everything else in between is needed to ensure pufferfish thrive in your care.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Moize nicolas/Shutterstock.com