Diodon holacanthus

Linnaeus, 1758

Long Spined Porcupinefish

Range: Widespread throughout tropical oceans.

Size: 20 inches (50 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow reefs and hides during daylight hours under ledges and in crevices and usually found at depths between 6 to 100 feet (2 - 30 m) where it feeds mainly at night on benthic invertebrate.

General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, and having a tan body with brown blotches with brown spots between the blotches and brown bar above and below the eye.

Best maintained in fish-only aquariums with wide-open swimming areas, peaceful tankmates, and tankmates too large to be eaten.

Should not be housed with aggressive or fin-nipping fishes, such as groupers, dottybacks, triggerfishes or angelfishes, as this is a slow moving species.

Requires a varied diet, i.e., enriched live brine shrimp, mysis, chunky chopped fish or shrimp flesh, and/or carnivore frozen foods, along with some vegetable matter. Should have numerous daily feedings, preferably early daytime and late evenings.

Taxonomy:

Order: Tetraodontiformes

Suborder: Tetraodontoidei

Family: Diodontidae

Genus: Diodon

FYI: Will eat smaller fishes, ornamental shrimp, crabs, snails, urchins, sea stars, and worms.

Will nip the fins of slow moving tankmates.

May eat soft corals.

Mainly nocturnal.

Can inflate their bellies with air and look balloon-like.

Used in Chinese medicine.

Experience Level: Expert

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Carnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: No

Invertebrate Safe: No

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful, and larger

Minimum Tank Size: 150 gallons

Temperature Range: 70 - 82°F (21 - 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5