Meanings
plural porcupine fishes · alternative porcupine-fish · alternative porcupinefish
- Any of several tropical fish species in the family Diodontidae that are covered with sharp spines and inflate themselves when threatened.First known use 17th c.
I took a knife down from where it hung on the side of the fireplace, & place the sharp tip against the taut body of the porcupine fish.
2001, Richard Flanagan, Gould's Book of Fish, Vintage, published 2016, page 161Synonyms: sea porcupine
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny of several tropical fish species in the family Diodontidae that are covered with sharp spines and inflate themselves when threatened.
More synonyms by meaning
nounspines become erect when the body is inflated; worldwide in warm waters
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Finnish siilikala
- siilikalaa fish species that inflates itself when threatened to expose spines
German Igelfisch
- Igelfischa fish species that inflates itself when threatened to expose spines
Māori kōpūtōtara
- kōpūtōtaraa fish species that inflates itself when threatened to expose spines
Polish najeżka
- najeżkaa fish species that inflates itself when threatened to expose spines
Portuguese baiacu
- baiacua fish species that inflates itself when threatened to expose spines
Cite this entry
porcupine fish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/porcupine%20fish
“porcupine fish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/porcupine%20fish. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “porcupine fish,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/porcupine%20fish.
Source: porcupine fish on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.