Porcupinefish
The Pufferfish’s Larger Cousin
Not to be confused with its smaller cousin, the pufferfish, you can distinguish porcupinefish by their elongated bodies and large eyes. There are several species of porcupinefish within the Diodontidae family, all of which can inflate their bodies when provoked or threatened. They activate this unique defense mechanism by swallowing water or air to increase their size and cause the sharp spines covering their bodies to stand on end.
You can go diving with porcupinefish worldwide on shallow reefs in temperate and tropical waters. Porcupinefish are not only identifiable by their spine-covered bodies, but they are typically brownish-yellow in color and covered in small black spots with a white underbelly. Your best bet on encountering porcupinefish is on a coral or rocky reef or near caves, shipwrecks, or ledges. To discover where you can go diving with porcupinefish, explore the dive site map below.
Popular dive sites
Okubo Hama
70 Logged dives • 19 Sightings Located in the northern part of the island, this is the main dive site of Miyakejima. This is a beach entry only. The terrain is formed by lava flowing into the water, with roots protruding offshore. There is a fairly large area to the east and west of the dive site, and you can’t go all the way around on one dive.Japan
El Canal
43 Logged dives • 9 Sightings It is a dive off the west coast of Menorca. It is only done from a boat and locating the place by means of GPS. The depth at which it is performed is 24 metres, so it is only suitable for divers with the speciality of deep diving and with experience.Spain
Big Rock, Mauritius
2005 Logged dives • 393 Sightings Big Rock is a beautiful drift drive, easily accessible for any qualified diver offering an architecture for a deeper dive (26m max) or a shallower dive (20m Max).Mauritius
Jibacoa Beach
340 Logged dives • 66 Sightings The proximity of the reef from the beach makes this a great dive and great snorkeling right from the shore! Jibacoa is one of Cuba’s cheapest destinations for diving and you’ll see plenty of healthy coral growth on this patch reef system.Cuba
