Diodon
Sign in to savePorcupinefishes or balloonfishes are any of the various species of the genus Diodon, the type genus of Diodontidae.
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Diodontidae
- Image
- Diodon, Mauritius.jpg
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Article
6 sectionsContents
- Distinguishing features
- Defense mechanisms
- Species
- Extant species
- Fossil species
- References
Porcupinefishes or balloonfishes are any of the various species of the genus Diodon, the type genus of Diodontidae.
==Distinguishing features== Fish of the genus Diodon have: two-rooted, movable spines (which are derived from modified scales) distributed over their bodies. beak-like jaws, used to crush their hard-shelled prey (crustaceans and molluscs). They differ from the swelltoads and burrfishes (genera Cyclichthys and Chilomycterus, respectively), which, in contrast, have fixed, rigid spines.