Black-blotched Porcupinefish Diodon liturosus

The Black-blotched Porcupinefish, also called the Short-spine Porcupinefish, is native to tropical coral areas of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans plus southeast Atlantic off southern Africa. It has much shorter spines than the similar-looking, smaller Long-spined Porcupinefish, particularly on its head. It can grow to 65cm long.

Porcupinefish are also called Blowfish and can inflate their bodies like the closely-related Pufferfish. Also like the Puffers, they contain a strong toxin.

It has fused teeth like a beak and bony plates on the roof of the mouth to crush urchins, crustaceans and bivalve molluscs.