Care Level: Moderate
Behavior: Semi-Aggressive
Reef Compatible: No
Max. Size: Up to 12"
Diet: Omnivore
Porcupine Puffer (Diodon holocanthus)
The Porcupine Puffer, otherwise known as the Porcupinefish or Porcupine Pufferfish, vary in color. They range from a wide array of mottled tan colors to light grays , and they sometimes have dark spots. Unlike the average fish, the Porcupine Puffer doesn’t have pelvic fins, forcing them to learn how to swim with their pectoral fins. What makes these puffers unique are the spines that cover their bodies. These prickly appendages are similar to that of a porcupine.
It is best to house the Porcupine Puffer in a 180 gallon fish-only tank or larger with room for swimming and a suitable protein skimmer. Puffer fish are known for puffing as a defense mechanism and can inflate twice their normal size when feeling scared or threatened. Keep in mind, these fish are not reef aquarium compatible and are known for eating invertebrates such as hard-shelled mollusks and corals.
Diet
The diet of the Porcupine Puffer should include: krill, clams, squid, and hard shelled shrimp to soften their teeth.
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