The Puffer Forum

I have a question about puffer fish anatomy again...

How do puffers breath after they bury themselves in sand? Do they just leave the sand when they need more oxygen, or just need a very well oxygenated tank and absorb water through the sand that way?

Just wondering since gill movement seems like it would be difficult if not impossible when they are buried. Then again a lot of fish (including one Malawi Cichlid Fossorochromis rostratus) like stingrays, sharks, etc, also bury themselves when frightened or just to blend in...

They do not completely bury themselves most of the time. They do need to open their mouths to breathe, and to have their soft gill covers uncovered for their equivalent of exhaling.

So far as I know, only a very few FW puffer s[ecies do this.

When my Congo puffer buries himself, like RTR said, he leaves his mouth open, but you will also notice that on each side you can see the "puffs" of air coming out of the gills. In fact, when I can't find my puffer, I look for the little movements of those "puffs" in the sand. Dead giveaway!