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Fish Identification: Find Species


Family: Ostraciidae Boxfishes



(See list of species below)


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25 species (see list below)

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Photo by FAO

Eastern Atlantic
Max. Length 18 cm TL
Acanthostracion guineensis (Bleeker, 1865)

Photo by FAO
 
Acanthostracion guineensis
[]

Photo by Wirtz, P.

Eastern Atlantic
Max. Length 50 cm TL
Acanthostracion notacanthus (Bleeker, 1863)

Photo by Wirtz, P.
 
Acanthostracion notacanthus
[Island cowfish]

Photo by NOAA\NMFS\Mississippi Laboratory

Western Atlantic
Max. Length 50 cm TL
Acanthostracion polygonius Poey, 1876

Photo by NOAA\NMFS\Mississippi Laboratory
 
Acanthostracion polygonius
[Honeycomb cowfish]

Photo by Pialek, L.

Atlantic Ocean
Max. Length 55 cm TL
Acanthostracion quadricornis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Photo by Pialek, L.
 
Acanthostracion quadricornis
[Scrawled cowfish]

Photo by Patzner, R.

Western Atlantic
Max. Length 48 cm TL
Lactophrys bicaudalis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Photo by Patzner, R.
 
Lactophrys bicaudalis
[Spotted trunkfish]

Photo by Fisher, E.

Western Atlantic
Max. Length 55 cm TL
Lactophrys trigonus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Photo by Fisher, E.
 
Lactophrys trigonus
[Buffalo trunkfish]

Photo by Pialek, L.

Western Atlantic
Max. Length 47 cm TL
Lactophrys triqueter (Linnaeus, 1758)

Photo by Pialek, L.
 
Lactophrys triqueter
[Smooth trunkfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 46 cm TL
Lactoria cornuta (Linnaeus, 1758)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Lactoria cornuta
[Longhorn cowfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Southeast Atlantic
Max. Length 34 cm TL
Lactoria diaphana (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Lactoria diaphana
[Roundbelly cowfish]

Photo by Greenfield, J.

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 23 cm TL
Lactoria fornasini (Bianconi, 1846)

Photo by Greenfield, J.
 
Lactoria fornasini
[Thornback cowfish]
No picture found
Southeast Pacific
 
Lactoria paschae
[]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 45 cm TL
Ostracion cubicus Linnaeus, 1758

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Ostracion cubicus
[Yellow boxfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Western Indian Ocean
Max. Length 15 cm TL
Ostracion cyanurus Rüppell, 1828

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Ostracion cyanurus
[Bluetail trunkfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Northwest Pacific
Max. Length 25 cm SL
Ostracion immaculatus Temminck & Schlegel, 1850

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Ostracion immaculatus
[]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indo-Pacific and Eastern
Max. Length 25 cm TL
Ostracion meleagris Shaw, 1796

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Ostracion meleagris
[Whitespotted boxfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 35 cm TL
Ostracion rhinorhynchos Bleeker, 1851

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Ostracion rhinorhynchos
[Horn-nosed boxfish]

Photo by Greenfield, J.

Western Pacific
Max. Length 12 cm SL
Ostracion solorensis Bleeker, 1853

Photo by Greenfield, J.
 
Ostracion solorensis
[Reticulate boxfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Western Indian Ocean
Max. Length 11 cm TL
Ostracion trachys Randall, 1975

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Ostracion trachys
[Roughskin trunkfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Eastern Central Pacific
Max. Length 15.5 cm TL
Ostracion whitleyi Fowler, 1931

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Ostracion whitleyi
[Whitley's box]
No picture found
Southwest Pacific
 
Paracanthostracion lindsayi
[]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Western Pacific
Max. Length 30 cm TL
Rhynchostracion nasus (Bloch, 1785)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Rhynchostracion nasus
[Shortnose boxfish]

Photo by SFSA

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 30 cm TL
Tetrosomus concatenatus (Bloch, 1785)

Photo by SFSA
 
Tetrosomus concatenatus
[Triangular boxfish]

Photo by Adams, M.J.

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 30 cm TL
Tetrosomus gibbosus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Photo by Adams, M.J.
 
Tetrosomus gibbosus
[Humpback turretfish]

Photo by CSIRO

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 30 cm TL
Tetrosomus reipublicae (Whitley, 1930)

Photo by CSIRO
 
Tetrosomus reipublicae
[Smallspine turretfish]
No picture found
Known from the type local
 
Tetrosomus stellifer
[]
25 Species of Family Ostraciidae
(Boxfishes)
Sort by: Species Length Year
1 of 1 Jump to:
Year Scientific Name English Name Distribution Max. Length (cm)
1865 Acanthostracion guineensis Eastern Atlantic 18 TL
1863 Acanthostracion notacanthus Island cowfish Eastern Atlantic 50 TL
1876 Acanthostracion polygonius Honeycomb cowfish Western Atlantic 50 TL
1758 Acanthostracion quadricornis Scrawled cowfish Atlantic Ocean 55 TL
1758 Lactophrys bicaudalis Spotted trunkfish Western Atlantic 48 TL
1758 Lactophrys trigonus Buffalo trunkfish Western Atlantic 55 TL
1758 Lactophrys triqueter Smooth trunkfish Western Atlantic 47 TL
1758 Lactoria cornuta Longhorn cowfish Indo-Pacific 46 TL
1801 Lactoria diaphana Roundbelly cowfish Southeast Atlantic 34 TL
1846 Lactoria fornasini Thornback cowfish Indo-West Pacific 23 TL
1921 Lactoria paschae Southeast Pacific
1758 Ostracion cubicus Yellow boxfish Indo-Pacific 45 TL
1828 Ostracion cyanurus Bluetail trunkfish Western Indian Ocean 15 TL
1850 Ostracion immaculatus Northwest Pacific 25 SL
1796 Ostracion meleagris Whitespotted boxfish Indo-Pacific and Eastern 25 TL
1851 Ostracion rhinorhynchos Horn-nosed boxfish Indo-West Pacific 35 TL
1853 Ostracion solorensis Reticulate boxfish Western Pacific 12 SL
1975 Ostracion trachys Roughskin trunkfish Western Indian Ocean 11 TL
1931 Ostracion whitleyi Whitley's box Eastern Central Pacific 15.5 TL
1932 Paracanthostracion lindsayi Southwest Pacific
1785 Rhynchostracion nasus Shortnose boxfish Western Pacific 30 TL
1785 Tetrosomus concatenatus Triangular boxfish Indo-West Pacific 30 TL
1758 Tetrosomus gibbosus Humpback turretfish Indo-West Pacific 30 TL
1930 Tetrosomus reipublicae Smallspine turretfish Indo-West Pacific 30 TL
1801 Tetrosomus stellifer Known from the type local



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cfm script by eagbayani, 30.11.04, ,  php script by cmilitante, 05/11/2010 ,  last modified by cmilitante, 14/03/2013