Bennett Toby

The Bennett Toby is a small and attractive sharpnose puffer found throughout the western Pacific, where it inhabits coral reefs and lagoons at moderate depths. Its compact body displays an intricate pattern of brown and tan markings with blue-green lines radiating from the eyes and scattered across the face, giving it an ornate and distinctive appearance. Like all Canthigaster species, it possesses a small, pointed snout and fused beak-like teeth designed for crushing hard-shelled prey.

In the wild, Bennett's Toby maintains a small territory on the reef, feeding on a variety of small invertebrates, algae, and detritus. Males are territorial and typically maintain harems of several females. This social structure means that in captivity, only one specimen should be kept per tank unless the system is large enough to support a male-female pair.

The Bennett Toby is considered one of the easier toby puffers to maintain in captivity. Its small adult size of around 4 inches makes it suitable for moderately sized aquariums starting at 30 gallons. It is hardy, adapts readily to prepared foods, and develops an engaging, interactive personality. However, like all puffers, it is not reef-safe and will readily consume small invertebrates, nip at coral polyps, and investigate sessile organisms with its powerful beak.