Spot-fin porcupinefish (Diodon hystrix) fish species and information / pictures of Spot-fin porcupinefish - Diodon hystrix

Spot-fin porcupinefish (Diodon hystrix) fish species information

Scientific Name
Diodon hystrix

Common Name
Spot-fin porcupinefish

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-17; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 14 - 16. Body robust; teeth united in each jaw but without a central division; body covered with long, sharp spines, folded backwards when body not inflated; 16 to 20 spines between snout and dorsal fin; dorsal region of caudal peduncle spiny; back, flanks and fins light brown with numerous dark spots; belly spiny (Ref. 55763). Spines long. Body grayish tan, with small black spots, but no large dark blotches. Belly white, surrounded by dusky ring (Ref. 26938). About 20 spines in an approximate row between snout and dorsal fin (Ref. 13442).

Classification

Classified By

Linnaeus, 1758

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Puffers and Filefishes (Tetraodontiformes)

Family

Porcupinefishes (burrfishes) (Diodontidae)

Distribution

Region

Circumtropical. Eastern Pacific

Distribution

Circumtropical. Eastern Pacific: San Diego, California, USA to Chile, including the Galapagos Islands (Ref. 37955). Western Atlantic: Bermuda, Massachusetts (USA), and northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil (Ref. 7251). Eastern Atlantic: 30?N to 23?S (Ref. 6951). Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea to Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius (Ref. 33390). Mediterranean (Ref. 50345).

Range

35°N - 31°S, 111°E - 37°E

Environment

Climate

Subtropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

2 m

Depth To - meters

50 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 2 - 50 m (Ref. 9680), usually 3 - 20 m (Ref. 40849)

Trophic Level

3.37 s.e. 0.54 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

91.0 cm

Common Length

40.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5313 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial

Vulnerability

Moderate to high vulnerability (48 of 100)

Resilience

Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (tmax>10; preliminary K=0.12)

Threat To Humans

Poisonous to eat (Ref. 4690)

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated