SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — SeaWorld San Diego's Rescue and Aquarium teams said Wednesday it is working to rehab a cold-stunned spot-fin porcupinefish found earlier this month in Point Loma.
The fish was turned over to SeaWorld after it was seen floating just sub-surface in the same area for about three days. The park added that it was exhibiting behavior typically seen in cold-stunned marine life. After a few days of observation, the fish was brought to SeaWorld for further care. Currently, the fish is under close supervision and still being treated.
According to the park, it's rare to see spot-fin porcupinefish in San Diego around this time of the year, due to the colder temperatures.
Spot-fin porcupinefish are generally thin, round, and have an expandable body with small fins, similar to a pufferfish. They are typically brown and grayish tan to green in color, with several dark spots.
Porcupinefish mainly feed on mollusks and other invertebrates, like sponges and coral, according to SeaWorld.
The fish is typically found in eastern Pacific waters from San Diego to Chile, and in the western Atlantic from Massachusetts to Bermuda. Spot-fin porcupinefish also live in the northern Gulf of Mexico and western Indian Ocean, according to the Aquarium of the Pacific.
