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FISH FACTS |
Description
The Black-spotted Porcupinefish is a stocky fish with thick spines over the head and body. The spines are folded backwards when the body is not inflated. It is brown, grey or greenish above and paler below. The head, body and fins are covered with small black spots, but without any large blotches. The underside is white surrounded by a darker ring.
Other Names
Spot-fin porcupinefish
Size
length to 70cm
Habitat
coral lagoons, seaward reefs, often seen in caves and holes in shallow reefs. Depth range 2m - 50m
Food
nocturnal. Feeds on hard shelled invertebrates such as sea urchins, gastropods, hermit crabs
Range
The Black-spotted Porcupinefish is found in tropical marine waters worldwide. In Australia it is found from north-western Western Australia on the east coast from northern Great Barrier Reef to northern New South Wales.
Classification
| Class: | Actinopterygii | | Order: | Tetraodontiformes | | Family: | Diodontidae | | Genus: | Diodon | | Species: | hystrix | | Common Name: | Black-spotted Porcupinefish |
Relatives in same Genus
Freckled Porcupinefish (D. holocanthus)
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