About Diodon nicthemerus Cuvier, 1818
The slender-spined porcupine fish, also called globefish (Diodon nicthemerus Cuvier, 1818), is a porcupinefish belonging to the family Diodontidae. It is found in the waters of southern Australia, ranging as far north as Port Jackson to Geraldton, Western Australia. It is most common in Port Phillip Bay and the coastal waters of Tasmania, where it inhabits shallow coastal waters and areas under manmade jetties. This species occurs at depths between 1 and 70 meters (3 to 230 feet). Diodon nicthemerus is similar in appearance and size to the three-bar porcupinefish (Dicotylichthys punctulatus), with both species reaching roughly 40 centimeters (15.7 inches) in total length. The two species can be distinguished from one another by their differences in patterning and morphology. Diodon nicthemerus is nocturnal, occasionally gathers in small groups, and feeds on invertebrates that live in the benthic zone. It has slender yellow spines that it uses for defense against predators, and can inflate its body to make its sharp spines protrude when it feels alarmed.
