Long spine Porcupine Pufferfish

Description:

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. 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. 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

Habitat:

Found over the muddy sea bottom, in estuaries, in lagoons or on coral and rocky reefs around the world in tropical and subtropical seas

Notes:

They are called pufferfish because when provoked, they 'puff' or blow-up like a balloon by inhaling water. They are poisonous if consumed when not properly prepared.