Long-spine porcupinefish
| Longspined porcupinefish | |
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| Species: | D. holocanthus
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| Binomial name | |
| Diodon holocanthus Linnaeus, 1758
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| Distribution of the Long-Spine Porcupinefish | |
Diodon holocanthus, known commonly as the longspined porcupinefish or freckled porcupinefish among other vernacular names, is a species of marine fish in the family Diodontidae.[1]
Diet
The species' diet includes sea urchins and hard-shelled mollusks.[2]
Distribution
The Longspined porcupinefish has a circumtropical in distribution, being found in the tropical zones of major seas and oceans:
- In the Atlantic it is found from Florida and the Bahamas to Brazil and in the Eastern Atlantic from 30°N to 23°S, as well as around South Africa.
- And In the western Indian Ocean from the southern Red Sea to Madagascar, Réunion and Mauritius.
- Also In the Pacific Ocean from southern Japan to Lord Howe Island, and east to the Hawaiian and Easter islands. Also from southern California to Colombia and the Galapagos Islands.[3]
Description
Pale in colour with large black blotches and smaller black spots, these spots becoming fewer in number with age. Has many long, two-rooted depressible spines particularly on its head. The teeth of the two jaws are fused into a parrot-like "beak". Adults may reach 50 cm (20 in) in length.[4] The only other fish with which it might be confused is the black-blotched porcupinefish, (Diodon liturosus) but it has much longer spines than that species.[5]
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Museum specimen Naturalis
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Diet
An Omnivore that Feeds on mollusks (molluscs), sea urchins, hermit crabs, snails,herbivor diet and crabs during its active phase at night.[6] They use the beak combined with plates on the roof of the mouth to crush their prey such as molluscs and sea urchins that would otherwise be indigestible.[7]
Habitat
They are found over the muddy sea bottom, in estuaries, in lagoons or on coral and rocky reefs around the world in tropical and subtropical seas.[8]
Spawning
Spawns at the surface at dawn or at dusk in pairs or in groups of males with a single female; the juveniles remain pelagic until they are at least 7 cm (3 in) long.[4] Young and sub-adult fish sometimes occur in groups.
Uses
It is used in Chinese medicine,[citation needed] and is captured at the surface with a hand net.[citation needed] It is poisonous if not prepared correctly.
References
- ^ "Common Names List - Diodon holocanthus". FishBase. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
- ^ Tristan Lougher (2006). What Fish?: A Buyer's Guide to Marine Fish. Interpet Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84286-118-9.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Diodon holocanthus". FishBase. June 2007 version.
- ^ a b Lieske, E. and Myers, R.F. (2004) Coral reef guide; Red Sea London, HarperCollins ISBN 0-00-715986-2
- ^ "Black-blotched porcupinefish: Diodon liturosus Shaw, 1804". Australian Museum. Retrieved 2013-12-15.
- ^ Leis, J.M., 2001. Diodontidae. Porcupine fishes (burrfishes). p. 3958-3965. In K.E. Carpenter and V. Niem (eds.) FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Vol. 6. Bony fishes part 4 (Labridae to Latimeriidae), estuarine crocodiles. FAO, Rome.
- ^ "Porcupinefishes". Australian museum. Retrieved 2013-12-15.
- ^ Kuiter, R.H. and T. Tonozuka, 2001. Pictorial guide to Indonesian reef fishes. Part 3. Jawfishes - Sunfishes, Opistognathidae - Molidae. Zoonetics, Australia. p. 623-893.
External links
- http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=127402
- http://fran.cornu.free.fr/affichage/affichage_nom.php?id_espece=1209
Media related to Diodon holocanthus at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Diodon holocanthus at Wikispecies