| Bony Fishes |
Balloonfish (Spiny Porcupine Fish)
Diodon holocanthus
| Conservation Status: Safe for Now
- © Aquarium of the Pacific
The balloonfish, also known as the spiny porcupinefish and spiny puffer, ranges worldwide in tropical waters and some subtropical and temperate areas. It is a member of the family Diodontidae, the spiny puffers. This fish, along with its close relatives, has the ability to inflate its body by taking water or air into portions of its digestive tract, increasing its diameter size by as much as three times. When the body expands, long spines that normally lie flat on the body are erected, not only adding to the apparent size, but also creating a formidable weaponry to discourage attack by most would-be predators.
Facts and Features
- Geographic Distribution
East and west coast of Africa, through the Indo-Pacific region, Japan, Australia, Equatorial Islands, Hawaiian and Easter Islands, Southern California, Gulf of California, to Colombia and the Galapagos Islands. Canada to Brazil including Florida, Gulf of Mexico, east coast of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea.
- Amazing Facts
- At the Aquarium
Gulf of California habitat