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Home > Fishes
> Boxfishes
Updated 4/9/2020
Family Ostraciidae
Trunkfishes,
Boxfishes and Cowfishes
| These
fish have rigid box-like
bodies composed of fused scales with openings for eyes, mouth , gills, anus, and
fins. The skin of some species produces a toxic mucus under stress.
This toxin may be strong enough to kill anything within a confined space,
such as a bucket, including itself. Swimming is accomplished by
sculling the dorsal, anal,
and pectoral fins while the caudal fin is reserved for quick bursts. Spiny
species are referred to as cowfishes and smooth species as boxfishes.
Young are born as females and just handful will live long enough to become
males. They graze upon a variety of encrusting organisms including sponges,
tunicates, hydroids, and
algae. |
|
INDO-PACIFIC / HAWAII
| Lactoria diaphana
ROUNDBELLY COWFISH
|
Lactoria fornasini
THORNBACK COWFISH |
| Ostracion meleagris
SPOTTED
BOXFISH, Female
|
Ostracion meleagris
SPOTTED
BOXFISH, Male |
| Ostracion whitleyi
WHITLEY'S BOXFISH,
Female
|
Ostracion whitleyi
WHITLEY'S BOXFISH,
Male |
INDO-PACIFIC
| Ostracion
solorensis
SOLOR
BOXFISH, Female |
Ostracion
solorensis
SOLOR
BOXFISH, Male |
| Ostracion
cubicus
YELLOW
BOXFISH, Juvenile |
Ostracion
cubicus
YELLOW
BOXFISH, Male |
| Lactoria
cornuta
LONGHORN COWFISH, Juvenile |
Lactoria
cornuta
LONGHORN COWFISH
|
JAPAN
| Ostracion
immaculatus
JAPANESE
BOXFISH |
|
WESTERN ATLANTIC
| Lactophrys
bicaudalis
SPOTTED TRUNKFISH
|
Lactophrys triqueter
SMOOTH TRUNKFISH
|
| Lactophrys trigonus
TRUNKFISH
|
Acanthostracion quadricornis
SCRAWLED COWFISH
|
|
