Long-spine Porcupinefish Diodon holocanthus

The Long-spine Porcupinefish, also called the Freckled Porcupinefish, is native to tropical coral areas of the Atlantic, Indian and western Pacific Oceans. It has much longer spines than the similar-looking, larger Black-blotched Porcupinefish, particularly on its head. It also has more markings above the eye on its head. It can grow to 50cm 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.