Balloonfish (Diodon holocanthus)

Also known as Balloon Porcupinefish, Balloon Pufferfish, Black-blotched Porcupinefish, Blotched Porcupine, Blotched Porcupinefish, Blowfish, Brown Porcupinefish, Fine-spotted Porcupinefish, Freckled Porcupinefish, Globefish, Hedgehog Fish, Longspine Porcupinefish, Longspine Puffer, Long-spined Porcupinefish, Mottled Porcupinefish, Porcupine, Porcupine Puffer, Porcupinefish, Spiny Balloonfish, Spiny Box Puffer, Spiny Boxfish, Spiny Puffer, Spiny Pufferfish, Spotted Porcupinefish, Swelltoad

Description

Also known as Balloon Porcupinefish, Balloon Pufferfish, Black-blotched Porcupinefish, Blotched Porcupine, Blotched Porcupinefish, Blowfish, Brown Porcupinefish, Fine-spotted Porcupinefish, Freckled Porcupinefish, Globefish, Hedgehog Fish, Longspine Porcupinefish, Longspine Puffer, Long-spined Porcupinefish, Mottled Porcupinefish, Porcupine, Porcupine Puffer, Porcupinefish, Spiny Balloonfish, Spiny Box Puffer, Spiny Boxfish, Spiny Puffer, Spiny Pufferfish, Spotted Porcupinefish, Swelltoad.

Found singly or in small schools, on open, soft bottoms, sometimes resting around rocks or in sponges, over coral and rocky reefs, rich in coral growth.
They feed nocturnally on hard shelled invertebrates.
Juveniles found with Sargassum rafts.
Length - 30cm
Depth - 2-200m
Widespread Circumtropical

Porcupinefish spines lay flat, but when threatened they can inflate like a "football with spikes" so the spines are facing outwards to deter prey. The have a plated mouth structure for crushing shells or "fingers".
Can give a nasty bite! (edit) Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/4659

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