Boxfish

Taxobox
name = Boxfishes

---

image_caption = Honeycomb cowfish, "Acanthostracion polygonius".
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Tetraodontiformes
familia = Ostraciidae
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = See text.The boxfishes are a family, Ostraciidae, their scientific name is, "Ostraction Meleagris", of squared, bony fish belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes, closely related to the pufferfishes and filefishes. They come in a variety of different colors, and are notable for the hexagonal or "honeycomb" patterns in their skin and skeletons. They swim in a rowing manner. Fish in the family are known variously as boxfishes, cofferfishes, cowfishes and trunkfishes.

Boxfishes occupy the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans, generally at middle latitudes, although the common or buffalo trunkfish ("Lactophrys trigonus") which lives mainly in Florida waters may be found as far north as Cape Cod. The cowfish variety "Lactophrys quadricornis" can grow to be 50 cm or less in size, but are generally smaller at higher latitudes.

The hexagonal plate-like scales of these fish are fused together into a solid, triangular, box-like carapace, from which the fins and tail protrude. Young boxfishes are more rounded in shape and may exhibit bright colors. Because of their body scale structure, boxfishes are limited to slow movements.

List of genus and species

* Genus "Acanthostracion"
** "Acanthostracion guineensis" (Bleeker, 1865).
** Island cowfish, "Acanthostracion notacanthus" (Bleeker, 1863).
** Honeycomb cowfish, "Acanthostracion polygonius" Poey, 1876.
** Scrawled cowfish, "Acanthostracion quadricornis" (Linnaeus, 1758).
* Genus "Lactophrys"
** Spotted trunkfish, "Lactophrys bicaudalis" (Linnaeus, 1758).
** Buffalo trunkfish, "Lactophrys trigonus" (Linnaeus, 1758).
** Smooth trunkfish, "Lactophrys triqueter" (Linnaeus, 1758).
* Genus "Lactoria"
** Longhorn cowfish, "Lactoria cornuta" (Linnaeus, 1758).
** Roundbelly cowfish, "Lactoria diaphana" (Bloch & Schneider, 1801).
** Thornback cowfish, "Lactoria fornasini" (Bianconi, 1846).
** "Lactoria paschae" (Rendahl, 1921).
* Genus "Ostracion"
** Yellow boxfish, "Ostracion cubicus" Linnaeus, 1758.
** Bluetail trunkfish, "Ostracion cyanurus" Rüppell, 1828.
** "Ostracion immaculatus" Temminck & Schlegel, 1850.
** Whitespotted boxfish, "Ostracion meleagris" Shaw, 1796.
** Shortnose boxfish, "Ostracion nasus" Bloch, 1785.
** Horn-nosed boxfish, "Ostracion rhinorhynchos" Bleeker, 1852.
** Reticulate boxfish, "Ostracion solorensis" Bleeker, 1853.
** Roughskin trunkfish, "Ostracion trachys" Randall, 1975.
** Whitley's box, "Ostracion whitleyi" Fowler, 1931.
* Genus "Paracanthostracion"
** "Paracanthostracion lindsayi" (Phillipps, 1932).
* Genus "Tetrosomus"
** Triangular boxfish, "Tetrosomus concatenatus" (Bloch, 1785).
** Humpback turretfish, "Tetrosomus gibbosus" (Linnaeus, 1758).
** Smallspine turretfish, "Tetrosomus reipublicae" (Ogilby, 1913).
** "Tetrosomus stellifer" (Bloch & Schneider, 1801).

References

*
* Zim, Herbert, and Shomemaker, Hurst. "Fishes". Golden Press, New York (1955).