Sealife guideThe thornback cowfishLactoria fornasini
Last updated on 09/18/2024 at 10:37 PM
Taxonomy
Description
The thornback cowfish has a box-shaped body that resembles a chest. It is distinguished by its long spines located on its head above its eyes, as well as on the dorsal and posterior parts of its body.
The thornback cowfish displays a yellowish to greenish coloration with irregular patterns of bluish or brown spots and lines across its body.
Geographic range
The thornback cowfish is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, especially in the Bali sea, from east Africa to the Bass islands.
Habitat
The thornback cowfish lives in coral reefs and seagrass beds, where it easily hides thanks to its patterns
Did you know ?
The thornback cowfish is a poisonous species of boxfish. Indeed, when stressed or threatened, it secretes toxins as a means of defense against predators
Unlike other fish, the boxfish’s body is covered with a rigid shell made of bony plates, which protects it like armor from predators but also limits its body movements. As a result, the boxfish moves more slowly by undulating its dorsal and anal fins.
Within the same family
Honeycomb cowfish
(Acanthostracion polygonium)
Reticulate boxfish
(Ostracion solorensis)
Scrawled cowfish
(Acanthostracion quadricornis)
Smooth trunkfish
(Rhinesomus triqueter)
Spotted boxfish
(Ostracion meleagris)
Spotted trunkfish
(Lactophrys bicaudalis)
Yellow boxfish
(Ostracion cubicus)
Discover also
Cardinalfish
(Apogon imberbis)
Five-spotted wrasse
(Symphodus roissali)
Goldentail moray
(Gymnothorax miliaris)
Horned bannerfish
(Heniochus varius)
Map puffer
(Arothron mappa)
Rusty angelfish
(Centropyge ferrugata)
Staghorn damselfish
(Amblyglyphidodon curacao)
Striped goby
(Asterropteryx striata)
The marine species from Indo-Pacific
Bigeye trevally
(Caranx sexfasciatus)
Bobbitt worm
(Eunice aphroditois)
Brownbanded bamboo shark
(Chiloscyllium punctatum)
Emperor angelfish
(Pomacanthus imperator)
Giant barrel sponge
(Xestospongia testudinaria)
Lemonpeel angelfish
(Centropyge flavissima)
Pearl-scaled angelfish
(Centropyge vrolikii)
Persian carpet flatworm
(Pseudobiceros bedfordi)
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