Duboisi Puffer (Tetraodon duboisi)

• Scientific name: Tetraodon duboisi

• Family: Tetraodontidae (pufferfishes)

• Distribution: Endemic to Stanley Pool (Pool Malebo) on the lower Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa. 

• Conservation status: Data Deficient (DD) on the IUCN Red List — meaning there’s insufficient information to assess its true status in the wild. 

This species is extremely rare both in nature and the aquarium hobby, and very few verified specimens are known in private collections. 

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Size & Appearance

• Reports suggest it grows to around 8–9 cm (≈3.5 inches) total length. 

• Some sources describe a honeycomb-like pattern on the body (hence the German name Wabenkugelfisch — “honeycomb puffer”), though detailed descriptions are scarce. 

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Natural Habitat

• Lives in freshwater river systems, specifically Pool Malebo — a large, shallow widening of the Congo River. 

• Little is known about exact habitat preferences, but like other Congo puffers it’s likely demersal (bottom-oriented) and predatory. 

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Behavior & Diet

• Like most puffers, T. duboisi is predatory, likely feeding on small invertebrates and animal prey. 

• In hobby reports, similar species are described as ambush hunters that bury themselves in substrate to catch prey, and T. duboisi may display similar behavior.