Species: Diodon eydouxii, Pelagic porcupinefish
top tail base: 2+ spines
many large erectile spines
Diodon eydouxii Brisout de Barneville, 1846
Pelagic porcupinefish
Body slender, inflatable; head wide and blunt; eyes large; nasal organ a flat short tentacle with 2 openings; teeth fused into a strong, parrot-like beak with two plates that lack a front groove, large, opens widely at front; gill opening a vertical slit before pectoral base; pectorals large; fins without spines; no pelvic fins; dorsal fin 16-18 rays; anal 16-18 rays; pectoral 19-22 rays; dorsal and anal fins of adult curved and pointed; body and head covered with numerous long (> eye), erectible, 2-rooted, slender, round spines; > 20 spines between snout and dorsal fin; 10-14 spines between lower jaw and anus; 2 or more small, fixed spines on top of tail base; spines on snout shorter than those an body; a short, fixed spine immediately above gill opening.
Medium to dark blue above, shading to white below; a dark blue bar from eye down and forwards; top and sides with black or dark blue < eye sized spots, mostly at spine bases, but no large dark blotches; round spots on dorsal, tail and pectoral fins; anal dusky.
Size: 30 cm.
Habitat: oceanic, epipelagic.
Depth: 0-10 m.
Circumtropical; scattered records from the Gulf of Mexico to the SE Caribbean.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Offshore Only
- Offshore
- Water Column Position
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- Surface
- Water column only
- Mid Water
- Near Surface
- Habitat
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- Water column
- FishBase Habitat
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- Pelagic
- Feeding Group
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- Planktivore
- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Zooplankton
- Pelagic crustacea
- Pelagic fish larvae
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Live birth
- Global Endemism
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- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- All species.
- Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
- Regional Endemism
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- All species..
- Continent + Island (s)
- Also in Brazil
- Extends North of GC
- Extends N + S of GC
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Continent
- Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Temperate (>35N)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 30
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 10
