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Toad fish crushing plate collected from Narrawong Beach after a storm.

Part of a Diodon crushing plate collected from Beaumaris Cliffs.

Diodon holocanthus, inflated (own work of Ibrahim lujaz from Rep. Of Maldives) Diodon nicthemerus (own work of user Springcold at da.wikipedia) Porcupinefish belong to the family Diodontidae within the Tetraodontiformes order and are also commonly called blowfish. They have the ability to swallow water or air and to inflate their body making it harder for predators to swallow them. When the fish inflates, sharp spines radiate outwards as a second defense mechanism. Some species are poisonous, having tetrodotoxin in their internal organs. Fugu is the Japanese word for pufferfish and is also a Japanese dish made out of the pufferfish meat. Because fugu is lethally poisonous if prepared incorrectly, fugu has become one of the most celebrated and notorious dishes in Japanese cuisine. Porcupinefish are medium to large sized fish and are found in shallow temperate and tropical seas worldwide. Monte Bolca is an important lagerstatte for Tetraodontiformes with Diodon tenuispinus as one of its oldest records. References: J. C. Tyler and F. Santini (2002) Review and reconstructions of the tetraodontiform fishes from the Eocene of Monte Bolca, Italy, with comments on related Tertiary taxa. Studi e Ricerche sui Giacimenti Terzari di Bolca. Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona 9:47-119.