Underwater Adventures: Balloonfish
Added 2021-07-02 14:35:01 +0000 UTC“Diodon holocanthus aka balloonfish are slow-moving fish that has small fins for navigating the shallow reefs or sea grass beds it prefers. Its teeth are formed into a beak that can crush shells of the mollusks and crustaceans it hunts at night. When threatened, it takes in water and inflates its body, making dozens of spikes stand out defensively. The balloonfish looks like similar species and can be identified by the dark blotches on its body, and the dark bars that run vertically across each eye.
They are shy creatures and will retreat if approached by a diver. In some parts of the world, the dried, inflated bodies are sold as tourist novelties. It is also used in Asian medicinal practices. The balloonfish is captured with nets and sold to the aquarium trade.
The balloonfish is not listed as endangered or vulnerable with the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The IUCN is a global union of states, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations in a partnership that assesses the conservation status of species.
Adult balloonfishes occur on shallow reefs among mangroves and in open bottom areas including seagrass beds and rocky substrates. Swimming closely to the bottom, they are found at depths ranging from 6-35 feet (2-100m) below the surface of the water.
The body is covered in long, sharp spines that stick out when the fish inflates. The balloonfish inflates by taking water into its body when it is threatened. All members of the family Diodontidae are capable of inflation. Along with inflation, there may also be a color change due to the excitement.
The balloonfish is distinguished from similar species by the large, dark blotches on the sides and back that dominate its color pattern and the small black spots interspersed between them. Unlike its relative, the porcupinefish (Diodon hystrix), these small spots do not extend onto the fins. The balloonfish has a brown bar above and below each eye. The anal, dorsal, and pectoral fins are mainly used for navigating through corals at a slow speed.”
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