Species encyclopedia

Long-spine Porcupinefish

Diodon holacanthus

Biology

The long-spine porcupinefish has powerful jaws with teeth joined together to form a beak. It uses that beak to crush the shells of the sea urchins and shellfish that it eats.

When it spawns, the female porcupinefish deposits thousands of eggs close to the ocean floor, which the male immediately fertilizes.

When frightened, the long-spine porcupinefish swallows a large amount of water and inflates a pouch by its stomach. By doubling in size and raising the spines all over its body, it attempts to intimidate its predators. Some pieces of its skeleton are missing so as not to hinder its expanding.

A large number of species of porcupinefish are inedible: their viscera or skin often contains a toxin that is particularly dangerous to humans.

Caribbean

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