Porcupine Pufferfish (Diodon hystrix)

This fish occurs in lagoon and seaward reefs down to 150 feet. It is found in many of the worlds oceans including the Eastern Pacific and the Galapagos Islands, the Western Atlantic, and northern Gulf of Mexico. It is also seen in the Western Indian Ocean.

They are commonly seen in caves and holes in shallow reefs. Juveniles to about 7 inches live and feed in the open ocean while adults tend to find their food on the bottom of shallower waters. They tend to be a solitary and nocturnal, active at night, fish that feeds on hard shelled invertebrates like sea urchins, and hermit crabs. They can live up to 10 years and reach a length of over two feet.

Puffers have a very neat defense mechanism, when they feel threatened, they can ingest air or water to increase their size up to, in some cases, 10 times their normal size. This makes a potential predator think twice about its intended meal. In addition, this species has spines that normally lay down flat, but when inflated, stick out like a pincushion.

Puffers are poisonous, which is different from our stingrays, which are venomous. Stingrays have a barb and have to inject that barb to affect you - much like snakes and scorpions. To be affected be a puffer's poison, you have to ingest the animal. If not properly prepared, the poison will begin to act within 10 minutes to 3 hours causing symptoms of nausea, vomiting, muscular weakness, paralysis, respiratory distress, even death with no specific antidote known. Other than eating the puffer, they pose no danger to other animals or humans. Puffers do seem to have a curious nature and don't seem to mind interactions, making them a favorite with many divers.