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Bony fish

Three-bar Porcupinefish

Dicotylichthys punctulatus

Also known as: Blowfish, Globefish, Hedgehog Fish, Spiny Box Puffer, Spiny Boxfish, Spiny Puffer, Swelltoad, Three-barred Porcupinefish, Toadfish

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Adult
@greatwhite · Sydney Aquarium, Australia · April 20121 / 1
01

Overview

Found singly, over estuaries, coastal and off-shore reefs.
They feed nocturnally on hard shelled invertebrates.

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
blotches
Body shape
spines
Fins & Tail
yellow fins
Behaviour
inflatesnocturnalsolitary

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Western Pacific
  • Country only · 1
LIVES IN

Found singly, over estuaries, coastal and off-shore reefs.

RANGE
04

Adult photos 1

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. genusDicotylichthys
    7. speciesDicotylichthys punctulatus Kaup, 1855

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

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    1 photo

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    4 photos

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