Spot-fin porcupinefish (Diodon hystrix)

Scientific name: Diodon hystrix Linnaeus, 1758

The Spot-fin porcupinefish (Diodon hystrix) is a marine fish of the family Diodontidae.

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. Spines long. Body grayish tan, with small black spots, but no large dark blotches. Belly white, surrounded by dusky ring. About 20 spines in an approximate row between snout and dorsal fin.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Diodon hystrix
Family: Diodontidae (Porcupinefishes (burrfishes))
Order: Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and Filefishes)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 91.0
Common length: 40.0
Depth range: 2–50 m (7–164 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; depth range 2 - 50 m, usually 3 - 20 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Circumtropical. Eastern Pacific: San Diego, California, USA to Chile, including the Galapagos Islands. Western Atlantic: Bermuda, Massachusetts (USA), and northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil. Eastern Atlantic: 30?N to 23?S. Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea to Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius. Mediterranean.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Poisonous to eat
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (tmax>10; preliminary K=0.12)