Longspined porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus)

Scientific name: Diodon holocanthus Linnaeus, 1758

The Longspined porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus) is a marine fish of the family Diodontidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-15; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 13 - 15. Pelagic juveniles with spots, particularly prominent on belly; adults with dark blotches across back and spots between the blotches; fins without spots. 14 to 16 spines in an approximate row between snout and origin of dorsal fin; with a large brown bar above and below each eye; a broad transverse brown bar on occipital region of head.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Diodon holocanthus
Family: Diodontidae (Porcupinefishes (burrfishes))
Order: Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and Filefishes)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 50.0
Common length: 15.0
Depth range: 2–200 m (7–656 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; depth range 2 - 200 m, usually 2 - 35 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Circumtropical in distribution. Western Atlantic: Canada, Florida, USA and the Bahamas to Brazil. Eastern Atlantic: 30?N to 23?S; also South Africa. Western Indian Ocean: southern Red Sea to Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius. Pacific Ocean: southern Japan south to Lord Howe Island and east to the Hawaiian and Easter islands. Also from southern California, USA to Colombia and the Galapagos Islands.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Reports of ciguatera poisoning
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)