| Also called balloonfish, spiny puffers belong to the Tetraodontiformes, an order of fishes known for their strange structures and odd behaviors. |
| The balloonfish is usually a shy little fellow, who retreats to a safe hole in the reef to peak out warily. |
| The balloonfish swallows air, when attacked by avian predators, or water, when attacked by piscine predators. |
| Because the balloonfish lacks pleural ribs and a pelvic girdle, expansion is not as strictly inhibited as in most fish. |
| The skin of the balloonfish is dominated by larger spots or dark blotches that occur only on the body, not on the fins. |
| We found a small turtle resting in the sand, a beautiful scorpionfish, a balloonfish, and several eels. |
