Common Name: Three Barred Porcupinefish

Distribution: Common throughout the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Western Pacific distribution. In Australia recorded from Queensland as far south as Bass Strait.

Ecological Notes: Found around estuaries, shallow coastal and offshore reefs to about 50 m depth.

Additional Notes: Three black bars, distinct small black spots between spines, and yellowish fins without spotting is indicative of species. Tend to be shy and inflate when threatened. Feeds on hard shelled invertebrates with teeth that are totally fused into beak like jaws. Similar looking Diodon hystrix lacks the three bars, and has spotted fins. Grows to 40 cm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.464.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/dicotylichthys-punctulatus.html. Accessed 24/05/18.