Saltwater
Spot-fin porcupinefish
Diodon hystrix
Diodontidae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 91 cm
- Body shape
- Deep-bodied
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 15,872 liters
- Diet
- Missing
Know what is missing? Suggest it in the app.
Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
Native
Lives wild in American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, and 87 more countries.
More about the species
Description
Occur in lagoon and seaward reefs to at least 50 m. Commonly seen in caves and holes in shallow reefs. Juveniles to about 20 cm are pelagic. Adults benthic. Solitary and nocturnal that feed on hard shelled invertebrates like sea urchins, gastropods, and hermit crabs. Generally common. Not normally used as food. Reached a life-span of 10 years and a length of 69 cm in the McGinty Aquarium (E. Dashiell, pers. comm 2004), suggesting a preliminary K=0.12.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Diodon armillatus
- Diodon brachiatus
- Diodon histrix
- Diodon hystrax
- Diodon hystris
- Diodon hystrix hystrix
In other languages
- Igelkottfisk
- Plettet pindsvinefisk
- Isosiilikala
- Ajargo, Ballonfish, Black-spotted porcupine-fish, Black-spotted porcupinefish, Burrfish, Freckled porcupinefish, Giant porcupinefish, Hedgehog, Hedgehog fish, Porcupine fish, Porcupine pufferfish, Porcupinefish, Sharptail mola, Spiny puffer, Spotted percupine fish, Spotted porcupine, Spotted porcupine fish, Spotted porcupinefish
Articles
All articles
Fish that get along4 min read
Temperament, fin nippers, fish that eat other fish, and fish that need the same water. And what the Harmony mark in the app means.
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.
From freshwater to saltwater3 min read
What is different in a saltwater aquarium: salt, refractometer, live rock and corals. An introduction for anyone thinking of giving it a try.