 | | Inflation
Porcupine fish have the amazing ability to inflate themselves. They do this as a defense mechanism against predators such as barracudas and sharks. Porcupine fish lack the physical structure of other fish in that they have no ribs. This enables them to expand without damaging their skeleton. When they are threatened, they gulp water and air that are pumped to a special sac by rhythmic motions of the gill and throat muscles. Once it is expanded fully, the fish will float, often upside down, until the danger has passed. Then the water is expelled and the fish returns to their normal size. While Porcupine fish are inflated, they are too large to be eaten by the average predator. Also, if a fish tries to eat a porcupine fish, the fish can expand in the mouth of the predator, killing both fish. |
