Diodon tenuispinus, a porcupinefish

Diodon tenuispinus Agassiz

Eocene

Lutetian

Monte Bolca near Verona

Italy

Length 2cm

Porcupinefish belong to the family Diodontidae within the Tetraodontiformes order and are also commonly called blowfish. They have the ability to swallow water or air and to inflate their body making it harder for predators to swallow them. When the fish inflates, sharp spines radiate outwards as a second defense mechanism. Some species are poisonous, having tetrodotoxin in their internal organs. Fugu is the Japanese word for pufferfish and is also a Japanese dish made out of the pufferfish meat. Because fugu is lethally poisonous if prepared incorrectly, fugu has become one of the most celebrated and notorious dishes in Japanese cuisine.

Porcupinefish are medium to large sized fish and are found in shallow temperate and tropical seas worldwide.

Monte Bolca is an important lagerstatte for Tetraodontiformes with Diodon tenuispinus as one of its oldest records.