Diodon
| Porcupinefishes Temporal range: 55–0 Ma Early Eocene to Present |
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| Diodon holocanthus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | Diodontidae |
| Genus: |
Diodon Linnaeus, 1758 |
Porcupinefishes or balloonfishes, are any of the various species of the genus Diodon, the type genus of Diodontidae.
Fish of the genus Diodon have:
They differ from the swelltoads and burrfishes (genera Cyclichthys and Chilomycterus, respectively), which, in contrast, have fixed, rigid spines.
Fossils of porcupinefishes are known from Tertiary-aged marine strata. These species are similar to modern species. Fossil species include:
There are currently five recognized extant species in this genus:
Diodon holocanthus puffed up and taken out of the water.
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