Porcupine Puffer Fish
Porcupine Puffer Fish
Scientific name: Diodon hystrix
“Biologists believe that puffer fish, also known as blowfish, developed their characteristic “inflatability†due to their slow, somewhat clumsy swimming style which makes them vulnerable to predators.†(National Geographic 1996-2011)
Porcupine puffer fish have a shape much like that of a baseball bat, with large eyes to see their surroundings, a hard beak-like jaw to crush crunchy crustaceans and scales which are modified into long spines, which generally lie flat against the body. These unique fish use their spine-covered body as a defense against predators that may be looking for a meal. When frightened or being attacked by a predator, such as a large shark, the porcupine puffer fish will quickly gulp down large amounts of water till it’s filled up like a balloon, causing its spines to protrude and effectively making itself more difficult to eat. If a predator attempts to eat one of these fish, the devourer will either be forced to let go of the puffer fish, or die trying to consume it. After the predator abandons its attempted ambush, the porcupine puffer fish releases all the water it had collected inside of its body, and resumes its normal shape and size which can be up to about three feet long. Porcupine puffer fish are the largest of 120 different species of puffer fish in the world.
Puffer fish can be found in tropical oceans all over the world, along with pet and souvenir shops. Typically, these fish will be found living in small caves and holes of lagoons, as well as seaward reefs that range from depths of seven feet to a remarkable 167 feet in depth. In this cozy living arrangement, “porcupine puffer fish will pelagic spawn (at either sunrise or sunset) in an area where the fertilized eggs will be taken away on the currents to drift into the open ocean.†(Perrine 1997) Typically, pairs will spawn together, however there have been several documented cases of a group
Scientific name: Diodon hystrix
“Biologists believe that puffer fish, also known as blowfish, developed their characteristic “inflatability†due to their slow, somewhat clumsy swimming style which makes them vulnerable to predators.†(National Geographic 1996-2011)
Porcupine puffer fish have a shape much like that of a baseball bat, with large eyes to see their surroundings, a hard beak-like jaw to crush crunchy crustaceans and scales which are modified into long spines, which generally lie flat against the body. These unique fish use their spine-covered body as a defense against predators that may be looking for a meal. When frightened or being attacked by a predator, such as a large shark, the porcupine puffer fish will quickly gulp down large amounts of water till it’s filled up like a balloon, causing its spines to protrude and effectively making itself more difficult to eat. If a predator attempts to eat one of these fish, the devourer will either be forced to let go of the puffer fish, or die trying to consume it. After the predator abandons its attempted ambush, the porcupine puffer fish releases all the water it had collected inside of its body, and resumes its normal shape and size which can be up to about three feet long. Porcupine puffer fish are the largest of 120 different species of puffer fish in the world.
Puffer fish can be found in tropical oceans all over the world, along with pet and souvenir shops. Typically, these fish will be found living in small caves and holes of lagoons, as well as seaward reefs that range from depths of seven feet to a remarkable 167 feet in depth. In this cozy living arrangement, “porcupine puffer fish will pelagic spawn (at either sunrise or sunset) in an area where the fertilized eggs will be taken away on the currents to drift into the open ocean.†(Perrine 1997) Typically, pairs will spawn together, however there have been several documented cases of a group