[2] Its body is elongated with a spherical head with big round protruding eyes, and a large mouth which is rarely closed.

The body coloration is beige to sandy-yellow marbled with dark blotches and dotted with numerous small black spots.

In case of danger, the porcupinefish can inflate itself by swallowing water to deter the potential predator with its larger volume and it can raise its spines.

The porcupinefish concentrates tetrodotoxin in certain parts of its body such as the liver, skin, gonads and the viscera.

Spectacular parasites are the cysts of the larvae of the trypanorhynch cestode Molicola horridus, often found in great numbers in the liver.