All fish / Diodontidae

Long-spine Porcupinefish

Diodon holocanthus

Also known as longspined porcupinefish, balloon porcupinefish, spiny puffer, porcupine puffer, freckled porcupinefish, balloonfish, porcupinefish, ปลาปักเป้าหนาม, ikan buntal duri, ハリセンボン, ikan buntal landak, 六斑刺鲀

This is a pale brown puffer-like fish covered in long spines that lie flat until it inflates, with dark blotches and small spots across its back. It is kept for its large eyes, inquisitive nature and the way it learns to recognise and beg from its keeper.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

700 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

Carnivore: shellfish, crab, shrimp, snails and other hard-shelled meaty foods

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Circumtropical: Indo-Pacific, Atlantic and eastern Pacific

Breeding

In the wild it scatters pelagic eggs that drift in open water, and the larvae spend a long time in the plankton. It has not been bred in home aquariums with any regularity.

Good to know

It grows large, produces a heavy waste load and will eat invertebrates and nip slow fish, so it is not reef safe. Its flesh and organs contain toxins, and stressing it into inflating out of water can harm it.