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Pez erizo moteado (Diodon hystrix), Cabo Pulmo, Baja California, México, 2024-12-19, DD 23
2024-12-19
- Classification
- Photograph
- Museum
- Wikimedia Commons
- Rights
- CC BY-SA 4.0, as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Kids profiles and older: it shows nature, places, still life or a children's book. How works are placed
About this work
Spot-fin porcupinefish (Diodon hystrix), Cabo Pulmo, Baja California, Mexico. The spot-fin porcupinefish is a medium-sized fish which grows up to 91 centimetres (36 in), but the average size mostly observed is 40 centimetres (16 in). In case of danger, the porcupinefish can inflate itself by swallowing water to deter the potential predator with its larger volume and it can raise its spines. The porcupinefish concentrates tetrodotoxin (a strong neurotoxin that are destructive to nerve tissue) in certain parts of its body such as the liver, skin, gonads and the viscera. This defensive system constitutes an additional device to dissuade potential predators. The porcupinefish is circumglobal, found in tropical and subtropical waters. The porcupinefish's diet is based on sea urchins, gastropods, clams and crustaceans. This fish is solitary, except during mating periods, and it has a nocturnal activity with a maximal activity at sunset and sunrise.