Porcupine Puffer

Diodon holocanthus

Big puppy-dog eyes and a mouthful of crushing teeth. When scared it balloons into a spiky ball.

A semi-aggressive saltwater fish that grows to 40 cm, lives in the middle of the tank and needs 24–28 °C, pH 8.0–8.4 and an aquarium of at least 400 L.

Care at a glance

Water

Saltwater

Temperature

24–28 °C (75–82 °F)

pH

8.0–8.4

Adult size

40 cm (16 in)

Aquarium

400 L or bigger (106 US gal)

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Group size

Fine on its own

Swims

Middle

Diet

Carnivore

Wild home

Tropical seas worldwide

Good to know

• Eats invertebrates. Hunts shrimp, snails and crabs.
• Coral nipper. Picks at corals, so it is no friend of a reef tank.
• Armoured. Covered in bony plates or spines – too spiky for most fish to swallow.

Tank mates

Good company: Copperband Butterflyfish, Coral Beauty, Firefish Goby, Flame Hawkfish, Foxface Rabbitfish, Golden Dwarf Moray, Green Chromis, Mandarin Dragonet, Moorish Idol, Snowflake Moray.

Will eat: Blue-Leg Hermit Crab, Harlequin Shrimp, Peacock Mantis Shrimp, Skunk Cleaner Shrimp.

Attacked by: Clown Triggerfish.

Eats the newborn fry of: Banggai Cardinalfish, Green Chromis, Neon Goby, Ocellaris Clownfish, Royal Gramma, Seahorse, Yellowtail Damselfish.

Colours

• Classic rare

The care values are the ones Aquarius uses, based on how these animals live. Tank mates follow the game's rules: water type, temperature and pH, who can swallow whom, fin nipping, temperament and territory.