No.08 Porcupinefish

Harisenbon is a generic name for fish classified in the pufferfish family (Diodontidae), which has the same spines as seahorses, which are said to be modified from scales.
The difference between the Diodontidae and the closely related puffer fish is that the Diodontidae have four teeth, two upper and two lower, while the Diodontidae have two teeth, one upper and one lower. Both are carnivorous, feeding on bottom-dwelling organisms such as shellfish, crustaceans, and sea urchins.
When attacked by an enemy, they inflate their bodies by sucking in water and air. The stomach of the echinoderm is equipped with a special valve structure that prevents the backflow of air and water from entering the stomach. By protecting themselves with these spines, haricembons seem to have very few natural enemies.
In Okinawa, harisenbon is called “abasa,” and the spines are removed from the skin and eaten as “abasa soup,” a traditional Okinawan dish.

Porcupinefish is a generic name for fish classified in the pufferfish family (Diodontidae), which has the same spines as seahorses, which are said to be modified from scales.
The difference between the Diodontidae and the closely related puffer fish is that the Diodontidae have four teeth, two upper and two lower, while the Diodontidae have two teeth, one upper and one lower. Both are carnivorous, feeding on bottom-dwelling organisms such as shellfish, crustaceans, and sea urchins.
When attacked by an enemy, they inflate their bodies by sucking in water and air. The stomach of the echinoderm is equipped with a special valve structure that prevents the backflow of air and water from entering the stomach. By protecting themselves with these spines, haricembons seem to have very few natural enemies.
In Okinawa, Porcupinefish is called “abasa,” and the spines are removed from the skin and eaten as “abasa soup,” a traditional Okinawan dish.