Bony fish · Tetraodontiformes · Diodontidae

Spot-fin Porcupinefish

Diodon hystrix

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The spot-fin porcupinefish is a fish of the family Diodontidae in the order Tetraodontiformes. This engaging inhabitant of the coral reef has developed remarkable strategies for defending itself against predators, since its body is covered in spines.

Weight

up to 2.8 kg

Size

up to 91 cm

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Fish Ocean

57countries 39parks 232dive sites

Fun facts

When threatened it swallows water and swells to three times its volume, raising the spines it normally keeps flat against its body.
Its teeth are fused into a parrot-like beak with which it crushes sea urchins, gastropods and hermit crabs, making it an important regulator of urchin populations on the reef.
It concentrates tetrodotoxin in the liver, skin, gonads and viscera.
Juveniles are pelagic until they reach about 20 cm; only then do they become bottom-dwelling.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bony fish)
Habitat & environment: Lagoon and fore-reef habitats in all tropical seas, between 2 and 50 m and mostly between 3 and 20 m; by day it hides in caves and hollows
Lifespan in captivity: Up to about ten years recorded in captivity

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diodon_hystrix