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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 guineense (Bleeker, 1865)

Photo by Photo by FAO
 
Acanthostracion guineense
[]

Photo by Wirtz, P.

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

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

Photo by NOAA\NMFS\Mississippi Laboratory

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

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

Photo by Pialek, L.

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

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

Photo by Cox, C.D.

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

Photo by Photo by Cox, C.D.
 
Lactophrys trigonus
[Buffalo trunkfish]

Photo by Pialek, L.

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

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

Photo by Chan, T.T.C.

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

Photo by Photo by Chan, T.T.C.
 
Lactoria cornuta
[Longhorn cowfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

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

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

Photo by Randall, J.E.

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

Photo by Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Lactoria fornasini
[Thornback cowfish]
No picture found
 
Lactoria paschae
[]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

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

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

Photo by Field, R.

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

Photo by Photo by Field, R.
 
Ostracion cyanurus
[Bluetail trunkfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

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

Photo by Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Ostracion immaculatum
[Bluespotted boxfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

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

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

Photo by Greenfield, J.

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

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

Photo by Randall, J.E.

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

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

Photo by Muséum-Aquarium de Nancy/D. Terver

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

Photo by Photo by Muséum-Aquarium de Nancy/D. Terver
 
Rhynchostracion nasus
[Shortnose boxfish]

Photo by SFSA

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

Photo by Photo by SFSA
 
Tetrosomus concatenatus
[Triangular boxfish]

Photo by Muséum-Aquarium de Nancy/D. Terver

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

Photo by Photo by Muséum-Aquarium de Nancy/D. Terver
 
Tetrosomus gibbosus
[Humpback turretfish]

Photo by CSIRO

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

Photo by Photo by CSIRO
 
Tetrosomus reipublicae
[Smallspine turretfish]
No picture found
 
Tetrosomus stellifer
[]


Sort by: Species Length Year
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Scientific Name English Name Distribution Max. Length (cm) Year
Acanthostracion guineense Eastern Atlantic 18 TL 1865
Acanthostracion notacanthus Island cowfish Eastern Atlantic 50 TL 1863
Acanthostracion polygonium Honeycomb cowfish Western Atlantic 50 TL 1876
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 1758
Lactoria diaphana Roundbelly cowfish Southeast Atlantic 34 TL 1801
Lactoria fornasini Thornback cowfish Indo-West Pacific 23 TL 1846
Lactoria paschae Southeast Pacific 1921
Ostracion cubicum Yellow boxfish Indo-Pacific 45 TL 1758
Ostracion cyanurus Bluetail trunkfish Western Indian Ocean 15 TL 1828
Ostracion immaculatum Bluespotted boxfish Northwest Pacific 25 SL 1850
Ostracion meleagris Whitespotted boxfish Indo-Pacific and Eastern 25 TL 1796
Ostracion rhinorhynchos Horn-nosed boxfish Indo-West Pacific 35 TL 1851
Ostracion solorense Reticulate boxfish Western Pacific 12 SL 1853
Ostracion trachys Roughskin trunkfish Western Indian Ocean 11 TL 1975
Ostracion whitleyi Whitley's box Eastern Central Pacific 15.5 TL 1931
Paracanthostracion lindsayi Southwest Pacific 1932
Rhynchostracion nasus Shortnose boxfish Western Pacific 30 TL 1785
Tetrosomus concatenatus Triangular boxfish Indo-West Pacific 30 TL 1785
Tetrosomus gibbosus Humpback turretfish Indo-West Pacific 30 TL 1758
Tetrosomus reipublicae Smallspine turretfish Indo-West Pacific 30 TL 1930
Tetrosomus stellifer Known from the type local 1801



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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