Globefish
Diodon nicthemerus
Chordata – Osteichthyes
Distribution:
Also referred to as a porcupinefish, the name certainly reflects this fish’s appearance with a body that can be inflated, causing the spines (which are modified scales) to stand erect. A globefish inflates its body by ingesting water or air, and as its body expands the spines lock into place – making the animal appear much bigger and acting as a deterrent to potential predators.
![]() |
![]() |
Did you know?
The swim bladder of the porcupinefish may also be found washed up onto the beach – the inflated dried organ is sometimes referred to as a windbag.
In This Section
- Chordates – Animals with backbones
- Invertebrates – Animals without backbones
- Abalone
- Acorn barnacle
- Baler shell
- Blue button sea jelly
- Bluebottle
- Bryozoan
- Bubbler crabs and sand balls
- Chiton
- Cone shell
- Coral
- Cowry shell
- Crab
- Cuttlebone
- Goose barnacle
- Hermit crabs
- Horned ghost crab (Manburr)
- Limpet
- Mud crab
- Mussel
- Periwinkle
- Pipi
- Ram’s horn shell
- Razor clam
- Sand dollars
- Scallop
- Sea hare
- Sea hares
- Sea jelly
- Sea star
- Sea urchin
- Silver-lip pearl oyster
- Sponge
- Tube worm
- Turban snail
- Violet snail
- Marine Pests
- Seagrasses and Algae
- Unusual Finds