Long-spine porcupinefish

The long-spine porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus), also known as the balloonfish, freckled porcupinefish, porcupine puffer, and porcupine pufferfish, is a species of marine fish in the family Diodontidae.

Habitat

They are found over the muddy sea bottom, in estuaries, in lagoons or on coral and rocky reefs around the world in tropical and subtropical seas.

Distribution

The long-spine porcupinefish has a circumtropical distribution, being found in the tropical zones of major seas and oceans: In the Atlantic it is found from Florida and the Bahamas to Brazil and in the Eastern Atlantic from 30°N to 23°S, as well as around South Africa.

And In the western Indian Ocean from the southern Red Sea to Madagascar, Réunion and Mauritius.

Also In the Pacific Ocean from southern Japan to Lord Howe Island, and east to the Hawaiian and Easter islands. Also from southern California to Colombia and the Galapagos Islands.

Behaviour

The long-spine porcupine fish is an omnivore that feeds on mollusks, sea urchins, hermit crabs, snails, and crabs during its active phase at night. They use their beak combined with plates on the roof of their mouths to crush their prey such as mollusks and sea urchins that would otherwise be indigestible.