| Porcupinefish | |
|---|---|
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| Diodon hystrix | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Suborder: | Tetraodontoidei |
| Family: | Diodontidae Bonaparte, 1838 |
| Genera[1] | |
Allomycterus | |
Porcupinefish are medium-to-largefish belonging to the familyDiodontidae from the orderTetraodontiformes[2] which are also commonly calledblowfish and, sometimes,balloonfish andglobefish. The family includes about 18 species. They are sometimes collectively calledpufferfish,[3] not to be confused with the morphologically similar and closely relatedTetraodontidae, which are more commonly given this name.
They are found in shallow, temperate, and tropical seas worldwide. A few species are found much further out from shore, wherein large schools of thousands of individuals can occur.[4][5]
The following genera are known:
The following genera are known only from fossil remains:[6][7]
Porcupinefish are generally slow-moving.[5]
They have the ability to inflate their bodies by swallowing water or air, thereby becoming rounder. This increase in size (almost double vertically) reduces the range of potential predators to those with much larger mouths. A second defense mechanism is provided by the sharp spines, which radiate outwards when the fish is inflated.
They have upper and lower teeth that fuse into a shape of a parrot's beak; they use this beak to eatmolluscs andsea urchins.[4][9][10]
Some species are poisonous, havingtetrodotoxin in their internal organs, such as the ovaries and liver. Thisneurotoxin is at least 1,200 times more potent thancyanide. The poison is produced by several types of bacteria obtained from the fish's diet.[11] As a result of these three defenses, porcupinefish have few predators, though adults are sometimes preyed upon bysharks andorcas. Juveniles are also preyed on byLysiosquillina maculata,tuna, anddolphins.[5]
Porcupinefish are eaten asfood fish and are an exotic delicacy inCebu, Philippines, where they are calledtagotongan. However, pufferfish can be dangerous to consume since they can causetetrodotoxin poisoning.
The porcupine fish (asDiodon antennatus) is mentioned inCharles Darwin's famous account of his trip around the world,The Voyage of the Beagle. He noted how the fish can swim quite well when inflated, though the altered buoyancy requires them to do so upside down. Darwin also mentioned hearing a fellow naturalist, Dr. Allen ofForres, had "frequently found aDiodon, floating alive and distended, in the stomach of the shark; and that on several occasions he has known it eat its way, not only through the coats of the stomach, but through the sides of the monster".[12]
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Media related toDiodontidae at Wikimedia Commons
Data related toDiodontidae at Wikispecies