Black-blotched porcupinefish
Diodon liturosus
Birdbeak burrfish
Cyclichthys orbicularis
About
A round, spiny fish that can puff itself up into a spiky ball by swallowing water, becoming almost motionless while inflated. It grows to about 30 cm and mostly comes out to feed after dark.
Also known as: orbicular burrfish, round burrfish, rounded porcupinefish, porcupinefish, ballonfish, spiny blaasop, shortspine porcupinefish, rounded porcupinefish, short-spined porcupinefish, short-spined porcupine-fish, rounded porcupine-fish, fixed spine porcupinefish
- Length
- 30 cm
- Depth
- up to 170 m
How to tell it apart
Several round, spiny burrfish and porcupinefish look alike at a glance. Check the body for round brown spots scattered across it, especially thicker toward the tail, a pattern not every spiny reef fish shares.
Appearance
A round-bodied fish covered in short, immovable spines. It has a small mouth, is pale brown above and white below, and its fins are translucent.
Habitat
Found across the tropical Indo-West Pacific and as far south as Cape Town, South Africa. It lives on coastal shelves over sand or mud bottoms, though it can also be found above reefs, from shallow water down to considerable depth.
Breeding
A captive-bred pair studied in 2015 lay together on the sediment before spawning, releasing fertilised eggs. The larvae hatched quickly and developed rapidly, with the eyes, fins, and spines forming in stages over the following weeks as the young fish grew.
Did you know?
By day, this fish is often found sheltering inside large sponges, only coming out to feed once night falls.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
