Description
Also called Balloonfish, Blowfish, Bridled Burrfish, Burrfish, Globefish, Hedgehog Fish, Pacific Burrfish, Spiny Box Puffer, Spiny Boxfish, Striped Burrfish, Swelltoad, Webbed Burrfish.
Found singly, over rubble and seagrass beds, of coral reefs. Spines always erect.
They feed nocturnally on hard shell invertebrates.
Length - 30cm
Depth - 1-40m
Widespread Western Atlantic, Caribbean
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/chilomycterus-antillarum.html
1 comment
Posted by Lan Ricecaught one of these 4/7/14 in Estero Bay (SW Florida). 11 inches long.