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Bony fish

Spotted Burrfish

Chilomycterus reticulatus

Also known as: Balloonfish, Blowfish, Fewspine Porcupinefish, Few-spined Porcupinefish, Globefish, Hedgehog Fish, Lanternfish, Pacific Burrfish, Spotfin Burrfish, Spotfin Porcupinefish, Spotted-fin Burrfish, Swelltoad, Toadfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2015
VenomousKeep your distance
Add a photo
Adult
@TerryM · Japamala Resort, Malaysia · February 20161 / 4
01

Overview

Found singly, hiding in protected shaded areas, in cave and under rocks of coral and rocky reefs.
They feed nocturnally on hard shelled invertebrates.
Juveniles found amongst floating weeds.
Circumglobal

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!

02

How to identify

COLOURS
Pattern
black spot
Fins & Tail
black fin spots
Behaviour
hidesinflatesnocturnalshelters in cavessolitary

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Worldwide
  • Country only · 4
LIVES IN

Found singly, hiding in protected shaded areas, in cave and under rocks of coral and rocky reefs.

RANGE
04

Adult photos 4

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderTetraodontiformes
    5. familyDiodontidae
    6. genusChilomycterus
    7. speciesChilomycterus reticulatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Porcupinefishes-Burrfishes (Diodontidae)

    Balloonfish

    Diodon holocanthus

    18 photos

    Birdbeak Burrfish

    Cyclichthys orbicularis

    19 photos

    Black-blotched Porcupinefish

    Diodon liturosus

    16 photos

    Black-lip Porcupinefish

    Lophodiodon calori

    3 photos

    Bridled Burrfish

    Chilomycterus antennatus

    1 photo

    Pelagic Porcupinefish

    Diodon eydouxii

    1 photo

    Spot-fin Porcupinefish

    Diodon hystrix

    39 photos

    Striped Burrfish

    Chilomycterus schoepfii

    4 photos

    Three-bar Porcupinefish

    Dicotylichthys punctulatus

    1 photo

    Web Burrfish

    Chilomycterus antillarum

    10 photos

    Yellow-spotted Burrfish

    Cyclichthys spilostylis

    2 photos