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balloonfish

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
bal`loon´fish`
1.(Zool.) A fish of the genus Diodon (such as Diodon holocanthus) or the genus Tetraodon, having the power of distending its body by taking air or water into its dilatable esophagus. It is similar to but smaller than the porcupinefish. See Globefish, and Bur fish.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.balloonfish - similar to but smaller than porcupinefish
Diodon holocanthus
spiny puffer - puffers having rigid or erectile spines
Diodon, genus Diodon - type genus of the Diodontidae
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When threatened, balloonfish take air or water into their stomachs to inflate their bodies to three times their normal size.
Water strange and sublime by The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)
 
 
 
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