Spot-fin porcupinefish
| Spot-fin porcupinefish | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | Diodontidae |
| Genus: | Diodon |
| Species: | D. hystrix |
| Binomial name | |
| Diodon hystrix Linnaeus, 1758 |
|
Range
The spot-fin porcupinefish is circumtropical:[2]
- Eastern Pacific: San Diego to Chile including the Galapagos Islands.
- Atlantic ocean: Bermuda, Massachusetts and northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil in the west, 30°N to 23°S in the east.
- Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea to Madagascar, Réunion and Mauritius.
- The Mediterranean sea.
Description
Diodon hystrix may be up to 91 cm long and weigh as much as 2.8 kg. It is coloured tan with dark spots above and pale below, and has many long, moveable spines. It is largely nocturnal.
Diet
Habitat
Juveniles are pelagic up to the time that they are about 20 cm in length. Adults favour lagoons and seaward reefs, sheltering under ledges or in caves during the day. Although classified as benthic, they may sometimes be found hovering high in the water.[1]
Hazards
Diodon hystrix are poisonous to eat, possibly due to the accumulation of tetrodotoxin.
In the Aquarium
Has been documented to achieve a life-span of 10 years and attain a length of 69 cm in a public aquarium.
References
- ^ a b Lieske, E. and Myers, R.F. (2004) Coral reef guide; Red Sea London, HarperCollins ISBN 0-00-715986-2
- ^ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2007). "diodon hystrix" in FishBase. 6 2007 version.
