Pao brevirostris (Benl, 1957)

Family:  Tetraodontidae (Puffers), subfamily: Tetraodontinae
Max. size:  9.46 cm SL (male/unsexed); 7.72 cm SL (female)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater
Distribution:  Asia: Mekong basin (Ref. 81211) and Chao Phraya drainage (Ref. 96402).
Diagnosis:   
Biology:  Known from the middle Mekong basin in Thailand as Tetraodon palustris; lives in marshes and swamps with clear and stagnant water in places with many aquatic plants. From aquarium study, they were observed to spent much of the time hidden among roots and in dense clumps of submerged plants. Diet in captivity was mainly juvenile fishes, including Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, and cyprinids, Barbonymus gonionotus, Cirrhinus siamensis and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Ref. 93844).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 26 March 2011 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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