The long-spine porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus), also known as the freckled porcupinefish among other vernacular names, is a species of marine fish in the family Diodontidae.[2]
The long-spine porcupinefish is pale in color 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 50 cm (20 in) in length.[3] The only other fish with which it might be confused is the black-blotched porcupinefish (Diodon liturosus), but it has much longer spines than that species.[4]
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.[5] 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.[6][7]
The long-spine porcupinefish has a circumtropical distribution, being found in the tropical zones of major seas and oceans:
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.[9]
Spawns 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 7 cm (3 in) long.[3] Young and sub-adult fish sometimes occur in groups.
The long-spine porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus), also known as the freckled porcupinefish among other vernacular names, is a species of marine fish in the family Diodontidae.