Black-blotched porcupinefish | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
Family: | Diodontidae |
Genus: | Diodon |
Species: | D. liturosus |
Binomial name | |
Diodon liturosus G. Shaw, 1804 | |
The black-blotched porcupinefish (Diodon liturosus), also known as shortspine porcupinefish, is a member of the family Diodontidae. It is found in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific on coral and rocky reefs and in inshore waters. Other names are the blotched porcupinefish and the brown-backed porcupinefish.
The Black-blotched porcupinefish is a medium-sized fish which grows up to 65 cm (26 in), but the average size most likely to be observed is 45 cm (18 in). [1] Its body is elongated with a spherical head with big round protruding eyes and a large mouth that is rarely closed. The pectoral fins are large, the pelvic fins are absent, the anal and dorsal fins are close to the caudal peduncle. The latter move simultaneously during swimming. All fins are a uniform tint of white or yellowish without any spotting. The skin is smooth and firm, the scales are modified into spines directed towards the back. The body coloration is light brown to sandy-yellowwith dark blotches circled with a white line and pale ventral surface. The only other fish with which it might be confused is the long-spine porcupinefish, (Diodon holocanthus) but it has much shorter spines and it lacks a dark streak running between the eyes. [2]
In case of danger, the porcupinefish can inflate itself by swallowing water to deter the potential predator with its larger volume and it can raise its spines defensively.
The porcupinefish concentrates a poison, called tetrodotoxin, in certain parts of its body such as the liver, skin, gonads and the viscera. Tetrodotoxin is a powerful neurotoxin. This defensive system constitutes an additional device to dissuade the potential predators. [3]
The Black-blotched porcupinefish is found in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific area from eastern coasts of Africa to Japan, the Society Islands and Western Australia, and also the southeast of the Atlantic Ocean on the coast of South Africa. [4]
Adults favour lagoons, top reefs and seaward coral or rocky reefs from one to 90 m depth, but it is usually found between 15 and 30 m. [5]
The porcupinefish's diet is based on Sea urchins, gastropods and crustaceans. [6]
This fish is solitary, except during mating periods, it has a nocturnal activity with a maximal activity at sunset and sunrise. During the day it normally hides in caves or under ledges. [7]
Rabbitfishes or spinefoots are perciform fishes in the family Siganidae. The 29 species are in a single genus, Siganus. In some now obsolete classifications, the species having prominent face stripes—colloquially called foxfaces–are in the genus Lo. Other species, such as the masked spinefoot, show a reduced form of the stripe pattern. Rabbitfishes are native to shallow waters in the Indo-Pacific, but S. luridus and S. rivulatus have become established in the eastern Mediterranean via Lessepsian migration. They are commercially important food fish, and can be used in the preparation of dishes such as bagoong.
The turkey moray ,also known as the guineafowl moray or as the white-mouth/whitemouth moray is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae.
The checkerboard wrasse is a fish belonging to the wrasse family. It is native to the area including the Indian Ocean to central Pacific Ocean.
The spot-fin porcupinefish, also known as the spotted porcupinefish, black-spotted porcupinefish or simply porcupinefish, is a member of the family Diodontidae.
The long-spine porcupinefish, also known as the freckled porcupinefish among other vernacular names, is a species of marine fish in the family Diodontidae.
Porcupinefishes or balloonfishes, are any of the various species of the genus Diodon, the type genus of Diodontidae.
Cyclicthys is a genus of fish in the porcupinefish family, Diodontidae. Species in the genus are often known as swelltoads.
The orange-spotted spinefoot, also known as the deepbody spinefoot, gold-saddle rabbitfish, golden rabbitfish, golden-spotted spinefoot, goldlined spinefoot or yellowblotch spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.
The bird wrasse, Gomphosus varius, is a species of the wrasse family.
The masked spinefoot, also known as the masked rabbitfish, bluelined rabbitfish, blue-lined spinefoot, decorated rabbitfish or maiden spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It occurs in shallow, coral-rich areas of clear lagoons and seaward reefs of the Indo-West Pacific region.
The barred-fin moray or bar-tail moray is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae.
The barred thicklip wrasse is a species of fish belonging to the wrasse family, native from the Indo-Pacific.
The blue-spotted spinefoot, the coral rabbitfish, coral spinefoot, ocellated spinefoot or orange spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific where it is often caught as a food fish and occasionally as an aquarium fish.
The yellowhead wrasse is a fish species belonging to wrasse family native to shallow tropical waters in the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic Ocean.
Arothron caeruleopunctatus, also known as the blue-spotted pufferfish, is a demersal marine fish belonging to the family Tetraodontidae.
Cyclichthys orbicularis, known commonly as the Birdbeak burrfish among other vernacular names, is a species of marine fish in the family Diodontidae.
Halichoeres prosopeion, commonly called the twotone wrasse, half-grey wrasse or zig-zag wrasse, is a fish species in the wrasse family native to the western Pacific Ocean.
Heteropsammia cochlea, also known as walking dendro, is a species of small solitary coral in the family Dendrophylliidae that is native to the Indo-Pacific area.
Siganus randalli, the variegated spinefoot or Randall's rabbitfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Siganus spinus, the little spinefoot, scribbled rabbitfish, blunt-nosed spinefoot, spiny rabbitfish or spiny spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.