Black-blotched porcupinefish

Black-blotched porcupinefish
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Tetraodontiformes
Family:	Diodontidae
Genus:	Diodon
Species:	D. liturosus
Binomial name
Diodon liturosus Shaw, 1804

Range

• Indo-Pacific: Red Sea, East Africa to the Society Islands, north to southern Japan, south to New South Wales.
• Southeast Atlantic: southeast coast of South Africa.^[1]

Description

Up to 65 cm long, diodon liturosus is tan in colour, with several yellow-edged dark blotches on its body and many short, depressible spines.^[2] The similar species Diodon hystrix has longer spines, and different colouration.

Diet

Feeds on crustaceans and molluscs.

Habitat

Found up to 40m deep, usually associated with reef edges and slopes. This species is nocturnal: during the day it usually hides in caves or under ledges, but may venture out to feed under plate corals.

Hazards

Although not usually sold as a food fish, it has been associated with ciguatera poisoning.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2007). "diodon liturosus" in FishBase. 6 2007 version.
2. ^ Lieske, E. and Myers, R.F. (2004) Coral reef guide; Red Sea London, HarperCollins ISBN 0-00-715986-2