Long-spine porcupinefish


The long-spine porcupinefish, also known as the freckled porcupinefish among other vernacular names, is a species of marine fish in the family Diodontidae.

Diet

The species' diet includes sea urchins and hard-shelled mollusks.

Distribution

The Longspined porcupinefish has a circumtropical in distribution, being found in the tropical zones of major seas and oceans:
The long-spine porcupinefish is pale in colour with large black blotches and smaller black spots; these spots becoming fewer in number with age. It has many long, two-rooted depressible spines particularly on its head. The teeth of the two jaws are fused into a parrot-like "beak". Adults may reach in length. The only other fish with which it might be confused is the black-blotched porcupinefish, but it has much longer spines than that species.

Diet

The long-spine porcupine fish is an omnivore that feeds on mollusks, sea urchins, hermit crabs, snails, and crabs during its active phase at night. They use their beak combined with plates on the roof of their mouths to crush their prey such as mollusks and sea urchins that would otherwise be indigestible.

Habitat

They are found over the muddy sea bottom, in estuaries, in lagoons or on coral and rocky reefs around the world in tropical and subtropical seas.

Spawning

s at the surface at dawn or at dusk in pairs or in groups of males with a single female; the juveniles remain pelagic until they are at least long. Young and sub-adult fish sometimes occur in groups.

Uses

It is used in Chinese medicine, and is captured at the surface with a hand net. It is poisonous if not prepared correctly. It is also found in the aquarium trade.