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Bony fish

Yellow Boxfish

Ostracion cubicum

Also known as: Black-spotted Boxfish, Blue-spotted Boxfish, Boxy, Cofferfish, Cowfish, Cube Boxfish, Cube Trunkfish, Cubical Boxfish, Cubicus Boxfish, Polkadot Boxfish, Pufferfish, Red Sea Trunkfish, Spotted Boxfish, Trunkfish, Yellow Boxfish, Yellow Cubicus Cowfish, Yellow Trunkfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2024
LIFE STAGE
Add a photo
Adult
1
@fishx6 · Gangehi, Maldives · March 20081 / 28

Showing details for the adult stage. Switch stages to see how it differs.

01

Overview

Found singly, over lagoons, and sheltered seaward reefs. Variation in colour through growth and geographically.

Widespread South East Atlantic, Indo-Pacific

In 2006, Mercedes-Benz unveiled its Bionic concept car, inspired by the Yellow Boxfish.

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

02

How to identify

COLOURS
Pattern
spots
Behaviour
solitary

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

Where the adult stage lives, and where its photos were taken.

  • Range · Indo-Pacific, Southeast Atlantic
  • Country only · 28
LIVES IN

Found singly, over lagoons, and sheltered seaward reefs.

RANGE
04

Adult photos 28

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. genusOstracion
    7. speciesOstracion cubicum Linnaeus, 1758

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Boxfishes (Ostraciidae)

    Bluetail Trunkfish

    Ostracion cyanurus

    7 photos

    Buffalo Trunkfish

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    Honeycomb Cowfish

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    Horn-nosed Boxfish

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    9 photos

    Humpback Turretfish

    Tetrosomus gibbosus

    4 photos

    Longhorn Cowfish

    Lactoria cornuta

    JuvenileAdult

    Roundbelly Cowfish

    Lactoria diaphana

    0 photos

    Scrawled Cowfish

    Acanthostracion quadricornis

    6 photos

    Shortnose Boxfish

    Ostracion nasus

    1 photo

    Smallspine Turretfish

    Tetrosomus reipublicae

    0 photos

    Smooth Trunkfish

    Lactophrys triqueter

    JuvenileAdult

    Solor Boxfish

    Ostracion solorense

    6 photos