Species: Diodon hystrix, Spotfin porcupinefish
tail base: 1-2 spines
many large erectile spines
Diodon hystrix Linnaeus, 1758
Spotfin porcupinefish
Body robust, inflatable; head wide and blunt; no barbells on chin; 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 15-17; anal rays 14-16; dorsal and anal fins rounded; pectoral rays 22-25 (rarely 21); body and head covered with numerous long (> eye), erectible, 2-rooted, slender, round spines; 16-20 erectile spines in an approximate row from top of snout to dorsal fin; 14-19 spines between lower jaw and anus; spines anteriorly at front of head shorter than longest spines posterior to pectoral fins; 1-2 small spines dorsally on tail base.
Light grey brown dorsally shading to white ventrally; upper body and dorsal, anal and tail fins with small black spots; body without large dark blotches.
Maximum length: 91 cm.
Adults inhabits coral or rocky reefs, juveniles occur in estuaries in our region.
Depth: 1-135 m.
Circumtropical distribution; southern California to the lower Gulf of California to Chile and all the oceanic islands.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Brackish
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Estuary
- Mud
- Reef and soft bottom
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Sand & gravel
- Rocks
- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Sessile crustacea
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Sessile molluscs
- Sea-stars/cucumbers/urchins
- Data
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Sessile worms
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic larva
- Pelagic
- No data
- Global Endemism
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- Transisthmian (East Pacific + Atlantic of Central America)
- Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
- "Transpacific" (East + Central &/or West Pacific)
- East Pacific + Atlantic (East +/or West)
- All species
- East Pacific + all Atlantic (East+West)
- TEP non-endemic
- All Pacific (West + Central + East)
- Regional Endemism
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- All species
- Continent + Island (s)
- Island (s)
- Continent
- Eastern Pacific non-endemic
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
- IUCN Red List
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- Not evaluated / Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 91
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 135
