Globefish

   Globefish, or Puffer, are names applied to certain fish of the family Tetraodontidae, distinguished by a short, thick body with a scaleless skin armed with spines, and the power of distending a part of the esophagus with air so that the body assumes a more or less globular form. When the body of the globefish is distended with air, the spines are erected and the fish floats at the surface, back downward, the spines forming a protection against possible enemies. Abundant in tropical and subtropical seas, the globefish haunt coral reefs, where they feed upon corals, mollusks, and crustaceans. They are frequently brilliantly colored. Many globefish are highly poisonous, at least at times, while others are said to be edible. The name globefish is sometimes applied to the porcupine fishes which are also capable of distending their bodies.

Globefish or pufferfish