[pawr-kyuh-pahyn-fish] 
) -fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) -fish⋅es. | any of several fishes of the family Diodontidae, esp. Diodon hystrix, of tropical seas, capable of inflating the body with water or air until it resembles a globe, with erection of the long spines covering the skin. |
| porcupine fish n. Any of various tropical marine fishes of the family Diodontidae, having strong sharp spines on the body and capable of inflating themselves when attacked. |
porcupine fish
any of the spiny, shallow-water fishes of the family Diodontidae, found in seas around the world, especially the species Diodon hystrix. They are related to the puffers and, like them, can inflate their bodies when provoked.
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