Blackblotched Porcupinefish, Diodon liturosus Shaw, 1804

Scientific name: Diodon liturosus
Alternative name/s:
It has also been called the Blotched Porcupinefish and Brown-backed Porcupinefish.
Similar species:
It is similar to the Freckled Porcupinefish, Diodon holocanthus, but the latter has much longer spines, particularly on the head, and the blotch on the top of the head is continuous between the eyes. ,
  • Updated
    20/01/21
  • Read time
    2 minutes
Blackblotched Porcupinefish, Diodon liturosus Click to enlarge image
A Blackblotched Porcupinefish at a depth of 15m, Pintu Barat, Karang Kaledupa Reef East, Wakatobi National Park, Indonesia, 10 September 2012. Image: Erik Schlögl.
© Erik Schlögl

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Diodon
    Species
    liturosus
    Family
    Diodontidae
    Order
    Tetraodontiformes
    Class
    Actinopterygii
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    It grows to about 45 cm in length.

Introduction

The Blackblotched Porcupinefish occurs in tropical waters and is found on coral reefs, rocky reefs and inshore waters.

Diodon liturosus
A 30 cm long Blackblotched Porcupinefish at a depth of 30 m, Flores, Indonesia. u000d u000d Image: R. R. Kuiter
© R. R. Kuiter

Identification

The Blackblotched Porcupinefish has erectile spines on the head and body. Like all members of the family, it can inflate its body with water, and turn itself into a very spiny ball.

The body is brown to grey above shading to white below. There are white-margined dark blotches on the back and sides, and the fins are normally unspotted.

Habitat

It is found on coral and rocky reefs and inshore waters.

Distribution

The species is occurs in tropical waters of the Indo-west and Central Pacific, from South Africa, north to Japan, south to Australia and east to the Marshall and Society Islands.

In Australia it is known from the central coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north and south on the east coast to southern New South Wales.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
  2. Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. in Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.
  3. Leis, J.M. 2006. Nomenclature and distribution of the species of the porcupinefish family Diodontidae (Pisces, Teleostei). Memoirs of Museum Victoria. 63(1): 77-90.
  4. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.