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Porcupine Fish

Fish · Least Concern

Porcupine Fish

Diodon hystrix

About

The spot-fin porcupinefish, also called the spotted, black-spotted, or simply porcupinefish, is a member of the family Diodontidae.

Family
Diodontidae
Avg size
40-60 cm
Habitat
The porcupinefish is found around the globe in tropical and subtropical waters. It has turned up twice in the Mediterranean, off southern Italy in 1963 and the Balearic Islands in 2016. Juveniles live in open water until they reach about 20 cm in length, after which adults prefer lagoons, reef tops, and seaward coral or rocky reefs from 1 to 50 m deep, sheltering under ledges or in caves by day.
Behaviour
The porcupinefish lives alone except when mating and is active at night, with its peak activity around sunset and sunrise. Its diet is built on sea urchins, gastropods, clams, and crustaceans.

Where & when

Where & When to See It

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