Species Profile
Porcupine Puffer
Diodon holocanthus
Also known as: Spiny Puffer, Balloon Porcupinefish
Pufferssemi-aggressive
Adult size
14″
Minimum tank
100 gal
Temperature
72–82°F
pH
8.1–8.4
Schooling
Solitary OK
Water level
mid
Grows from juvenile
Typically sold at ~4″ and reaches 14″ over ~2 years. Plan tank size for the adult, not the fish at purchase.Diet
Frozen mysis, krill, clams on the half shell, hard-shelled shrimp (to wear teeth)
Notes
Massive personality and grows over a foot. Erects spines and inflates when stressed. Eats anything that fits in its mouth — fish, snails, crabs, shrimp. FOWLR-only with large tankmates.
Photo: Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons · Source · CC-BY-SA-4.0