Sealife guideThe spotted boxfishOstracion meleagris

Last updated on 03/11/2024 at 11:40 PM

Taxonomy

Common name: Spotted boxfish
French name: Poisson coffre pintade
Scientific name: Ostracion meleagris (Böhlke & Robins, 1960)
Family name: Ostraciidae
Order name: Tetraodontiformes
Class name: Actinopterygii

The spotted boxfish (Ostracion meleagris) © Suwat Sirivutcharungchit | Dreamstime.com

The spotted boxfish (Ostracion meleagris) © Dirk Jan Mattaar | Dreamstime.com

Within the same genus

Reticulate boxfish
(Ostracion solorensis)

Yellow boxfish
(Ostracion cubicus)

Within the same family

Honeycomb cowfish
(Acanthostracion polygonium)

Scrawled cowfish
(Acanthostracion quadricornis)

Smooth trunkfish
(Rhinesomus triqueter)

Spotted trunkfish
(Lactophrys bicaudalis)

Thornback cowfish
(Lactoria fornasini)

Discover also

Atlantic creolefish
(Paranthias furcifer)

Big-belly seahorse
(Hippocampus abdominalis)

Blackback butterflyfish
(Chaetodon melannotus)

Bonefish
(Albula vulpes)

European conger eel
(Conger conger)

Graysby
(Cephalopholis cruentata)

Shadowfin soldierfish
(Myripristis adusta)

Snubnose pompano
(Trachinotus blochii)

Best scuba diving destinations

Hawaii surfing, the birthplace of a Pacific legend

Go surfing in Hawaii

The Hawaiian archipelago

Our latestUpdates

Monday, March 2nd 2026

The blueface angelfish

The blueface angelfish is a very colorful fish of the tropical coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific, recognizable by its bright blue head and its bluish body finely reticulated with yellow.

Wednesday, February 18th 2026

The Atlantic tarpon

The Atlantic tarpon is a large coastal fish that can grow up to 8 feet long and weigh over 330 pounds, with a silvery body covered in large, reflective scales. Known as the Silver King, it is famous for its spectacular leaps and fierce fight when hooked by sport fishermen.

Friday, January 30th 2026

The dugong

Discover the dugong, a gentle “sea cow” of tropical waters. Learn about its habitat, diet, reproduction, morphology, and the threats facing this unique marine mammal.

Photo of the Day

Saupe
(Sarpa salpa)