The Dichotomyctere Genus

Dichotomyctere is a genus of pufferfish (Tetraodontidae) native to South and Southeast Asia. Its members inhabit brackish and estuarine waters, often moving between fresh and saline environments.

The genus includes medium-sized, euryhaline species adapted to tidal rivers, mangrove systems, and coastal wetlands.

Dichotomyctere was established by Duncker (1926) to describe brackish-water puffers from Asia. For much of the twentieth century, these species were subsumed under Tetraodon.

In Kottelat’s (2013) Catalogue of Southeast Asian Freshwater Fishes, the genus was formally reinstated following detailed morphological and molecular studies that demonstrated its independence from both the African Tetraodon and the freshwater Asian genera Pao and Carinotetraodon. This reclassification, finalised in 2013, established Dichotomyctere as the valid genus for the true brackish and coastal Southeast-Asian puffers.

The Year the Puffers Split: Unpacking the 2013 Taxonomic Revolution

Dichotomyctere comprises a group of adaptable, euryhaline pufferfishes from South and Southeast Asia that inhabit transitional fresh and brackish environments. The genus is defined by moderate body size, distinctive cranial and dental morphology, and a preference for estuarine and coastal waters. Its modern recognition, formalised in 2013, resolved long-standing confusion surrounding Asian “brackish Tetraodon” species and remains the accepted framework for these coastal puffers.

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Recognised Species within the Dichotomyctere genus:

• Dichotomyctere erythrotaenia (Bleeker, 1853) – Red-striped / Redlined Toadfish

  Small brackish puffer native to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Most often found in mangroves, tidal creeks, and lower rivers; can occur in fresh water. Max length ~8.5 cm TL.
  

• Dichotomyctere fluviatilis (Hamilton, 1822) – Green Puffer Occurs in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar, with records into the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. Adults frequent brackish estuaries and lower rivers. Juveniles may range upriver into fresh water. Typical maximum length about 17 cm.
  

• Dichotomyctere nigroviridis (Marion de Procé, 1822) – Spotted Green Puffer Widespread from India to Indonesia. Recognised by bright green spotting over a yellow-olive body. Common in estuaries and mangrove creeks. Click here to read our care guide
  

• Dichotomyctere ocellatus (Steindachner, 1870) – Figure-Eight Puffer Native to southern Myanmar, Thailand, and Borneo. Small species (to 8 cm) inhabiting low-salinity rivers and floodplain creeks; identified by the paired “8” markings on its dorsum.
  

• Dichotomyctere sabahensis (Dekkers, 1975) – Sabah Puffer Endemic to northern Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia). Occurs in brackish coastal streams and estuarine habitats; closely related to D. kretamensis.
  

• Dichotomyctere kretamensis (Dekkers, 1975) – Kretam Puffer Known from coastal northern Borneo. A rarely encountered species living in tidal and estuarine systems.