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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
balloonfish |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Osteichthyes |
| ORDER: |
Tetraodontiformes |
| FAMILY: |
Diodontidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Diodon holocanthus |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Tan teardrop-shaped body with brown blotches and
black spots over entire length. Long spines (typically
seen lowered) are found over entire body surface,
starting at the forehead. Eyes are large and pronounced
with yellow irises. Iridescent blue-green specks
may be seen within pupil. Brown band runs over forehead,
from eye to eye. Fins are clear. Rounded caudal
fin. |
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| SIZE: |
20.3-35.6 cm (8-14 in) avg; 50.8 cm (20 in) max
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| DIET: |
Mollusks, crabs, and urchins |
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| INCUBATION: |
Species exhibits dioecism. Fertilization is external.
Spawning primarily occurs in late spring and early
summer. |
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| RANGE: |
Western Atlantic: Florida to Brazil
Eastern Atlantic: Morocco to Angola and South Africa
Western Indo-Pacific: Micronesia and Australia to
Africa
Western Central Pacific: Hawaii, Pitcairn, and Easter
islands
Eastern Pacific: southern California to Colombia
and the Galapagos |
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| HABITAT: |
2-100 meters in tropical & sub-tropical marine
coastal waters |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
No
data |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not listed |
| CITES |
Not listed |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
When
threatened or frightened, the balloonfish will take
in water - thereby noticeably expanding its overall
body size. In this inflated state, its spines stand
erect. The spines and the enlarged size can prove
intimidating to potential predators. |
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| 2. |
Throughout certain Pacific island communities, the
balloonfish was historically fashioned as a helmet. |
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| 3. |
For
more information about bony fishes, explore the
bony
fishes info book. |
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|
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| Bond,
Carl E. Biology of Fishes - Second Edition.
Saunders College Publishing, 1996. |
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Humann, Paul. Reef Fish Identification - Florida,
Caribbean, Bahamas. New World Publications,
Inc., 1992. |
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www.fishbase.org
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| www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/Porcupine/Porcupine.htm |
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