Long-spine porcupinefish
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| Long-spine porcupinefish | ||||||||||||||
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| Diodon holocanthus Linnaeus, 1758 |
The long-spine porcupinefish is also known as the spiny balloonfish.
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[edit] Range
The Long-spine porcupinefish is circumtropical in distribution, being found in the tropical zones of major seas and oceans:
- In the Atlantic it is found from Florida and the Bahamas to Brazil and in the Eastern Atlantic from 30°N to 23°S, as well as around South Africa.
- In the western Indian Ocean from the southern Red Sea to Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius.
- In the Pacific Ocean from southern Japan to Lord Howe Island, and east to the Hawaiian and Easter islands. Also from southern California to Colombia and the Galapagos Islands.[1]
[edit] Description
Pale in colour with large black blotches and smaller black spots, these spots becoming fewer in number with age. Has many long, two-rooted depressible spines. Adults may reach 50cm in length.[2]
[edit] Diet
Feeds on mollusks (molluscs), sea urchins, hermit crabs, snails, and crabs during its active phase at night.[1]
[edit] Habitat
Found over the muddy sea bottom, or in lagoons or seaward reefs.
[edit] Spawning
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 7cm long.[2] Young and sub-adult fish sometimes occur in groups.
[edit] Uses
It is used in Chinese medicine, being captured at the surface using a hand net. also poisons if not prepared correctly.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "diodon holocanthus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. 6 2007 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2007.
- ^ a b Lieske, E. and Myers, R.F. (2004) Coral reef guide; Red Sea London, HarperCollins ISBN 0-00-715986-2
