Spot-fin Porcupinefish (Diodon hystrix)

Also known as Balloonfish, Black-spotted Porcupinefish, Blowfish, Freckled Porcupinefish, Giant Porcupinefish, Globefish, Hedgehog, Hedgehogfish, Porcupine Puffer, Pufferfish, Spiny Box Puffer, Spiny Boxfish, Spiny Puffer, Spotted Porcupine, Spotted Porcupinefish, Spotted Spiny Puffer, Swelltoad

Description

Also known as Balloonfish, Black-spotted Porcupinefish, Blowfish, Freckled Porcupinefish, Giant Porcupinefish, Globefish, Hedgehog, Hedgehogfish, Porcupine Puffer, Pufferfish, Spiny Box Puffer, Spiny Boxfish, Spiny Puffer, Spotted Porcupine, Spotted Porcupinefish, Spotted Spiny Puffer, Swelltoad.

Found singly, in caves and holes in shallow reefs, also deeper waters of lagoons and seaward reefs.
They feed nocturnally, on hard shell invertebrates.
This one was under the steps of our bungalow.
Length - 70cm
Depth - 0-50m
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! Ref: https://www.fishbase.de/summary/diodon-hystrix.html

1 comment

  1. Posted by Caroline Smith
    April 26, 2018 at 14:21 pm - 1 person found this useful.

    Saw one of these in shallow water off Hong Island, Krabi, Thailand April 25th 2018. Estimate 50cm length. Sorry no photo, my partner had the camera a few yards away!

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