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Bony fish

Roundbelly Cowfish

Lactoria diaphana

Also known as: Cowfish, Diaphanous Boxfish, Diaphanous Cowfish, Many-spined Cowfish, Spiny Boxfish, Spiny Cowfish, Thornback, Thornyback Cowfish, Translucent Boxfish, Transparent Boxfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2024
VenomousKeep your distance
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Juvenile
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01

Overview

Found singly, over mud-flats, rock, and sandy bottoms, of coastal and off-shore reefs.

The bodies of Boxfish are covered in a toxic mucus which can be released when stressed.

02

How to identify

COLOURS
Pattern
honeycombspots
Head & Mouth
horns
Behaviour
solitary

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-Pacific, Eastern Pacific, Southeast Atlantic
LIVES IN

Found singly, over mud-flats, rock, and sandy bottoms, of coastal and off-shore reefs.

RANGE
04

Juvenile photos 0

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05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderTetraodontiformes
    5. familyOstraciidae
    6. genusLactoria
    7. speciesLactoria diaphana (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Boxfishes (Ostraciidae)

    Honeycomb Cowfish

    Acanthostracion polygonium

    JuvenileAdult

    Smooth Trunkfish

    Lactophrys triqueter

    JuvenileAdult

    Yellow Boxfish

    Ostracion cubicum

    JuvenileAdult

    Bluetail Trunkfish

    Ostracion cyanurus

    7 photos

    Buffalo Trunkfish

    Lactophrys trigonus

    16 photos

    Horn-nosed Boxfish

    Ostracion rhinorhynchos

    9 photos

    Humpback Turretfish

    Tetrosomus gibbosus

    4 photos

    Longhorn Cowfish

    Lactoria cornuta

    JuvenileAdult

    Scrawled Cowfish

    Acanthostracion quadricornis

    6 photos

    Shortnose Boxfish

    Ostracion nasus

    1 photo

    Smallspine Turretfish

    Tetrosomus reipublicae

    0 photos

    Solor Boxfish

    Ostracion solorense

    6 photos