Boxfish
Encyclopedia
Ostraciidae is a family of squared, bony fish
belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes
, closely related to the pufferfish
es and filefish
es. Fish in the family are known variously as boxfishes, cofferfishes, cowfishes and trunkfishes. It contains 25 species in six extant genera.
Ostraciidae occupy the Atlantic
, Indian
, and Pacific ocean
s, generally at middle latitudes, although the common or buffalo trunkfish (Lactophrys trigonus) which lives mainly in Florida
waters may be found as far north as Cape Cod
. The cowfish variety Lactophrys quadricornis can grow to be 50 cm or less in size, but are generally smaller at higher latitudes.
They come in a variety of different colors, and are notable for the hexagonal or "honeycomb" patterns in their skin. They swim in a rowing manner. The hexagonal plate-like scales of these fish are fused together into a solid, triangular, box-like carapace
, from which the fins, tail, eyes and mouth protrude. Because of these heavy armoured scales, Ostraciidae are limited to slow movements, but few other fish are able to eat the adults. Ostraciidae of the Genus Lactophrys also secrete poisons from their skin into the surrounding water, further protecting them from predation
. Although the adults are in general quite square in shape, young Ostraciidae are more rounded. The young often also exhibit brighter colors.
Family OSTRACIIDAE
that is contained in mucus secreted from the skin of Ostracion lentiginosus and other members of the trunkfish family when they are under stress. . Pahutoxin is a choline chloride
ester of 3-acetoxypalmitic acid http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=985 that behaves similarly to steroidal saponins found in echinoderms. . When this toxic mucus is released from the fish, it quickly dissolves in the environment and negatively affects any fish in the surrounding area. It is possible since this toxin resembles certain detergents so closely, that adding these detergents as pollutants to seawater has potential to interfere with receptor-mediated processes in marine life. .
Actinopterygii
The Actinopterygii or ray-finned fishes constitute a class or sub-class of the bony fishes.The ray-finned fishes are so called because they possess lepidotrichia or "fin rays", their fins being webs of skin supported by bony or horny spines , as opposed to the fleshy, lobed fins that characterize...
belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes
Tetraodontiformes
The Tetraodontiformes are an order of highly derived ray-finned fish, also called the Plectognathi. Sometimes these are classified as a suborder of the Perciformes...
, closely related to the pufferfish
Pufferfish
Tetraodontidae is a family of primarily marine and estuarine fish of the Tetraodontiformes order. The family includes many familiar species which are variously called pufferfish, balloonfish, blowfish, bubblefish, globefish, swellfish, toadfish, toadies, honey toads, sugar toads, and sea squab...
es and filefish
Filefish
Filefish are tropical to subtropical tetraodontiform marine fish of the diverse family Monacanthidae. Found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, the filefish family contains approximately 107 species in 26 genera...
es. Fish in the family are known variously as boxfishes, cofferfishes, cowfishes and trunkfishes. It contains 25 species in six extant genera.
Ostraciidae occupy the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, Indian
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, and Pacific ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
s, generally at middle latitudes, although the common or buffalo trunkfish (Lactophrys trigonus) which lives mainly in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
waters may be found as far north as Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
. The cowfish variety Lactophrys quadricornis can grow to be 50 cm or less in size, but are generally smaller at higher latitudes.
They come in a variety of different colors, and are notable for the hexagonal or "honeycomb" patterns in their skin. They swim in a rowing manner. The hexagonal plate-like scales of these fish are fused together into a solid, triangular, box-like carapace
Carapace
A carapace is a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.-Crustaceans:In crustaceans, the...
, from which the fins, tail, eyes and mouth protrude. Because of these heavy armoured scales, Ostraciidae are limited to slow movements, but few other fish are able to eat the adults. Ostraciidae of the Genus Lactophrys also secrete poisons from their skin into the surrounding water, further protecting them from predation
Predation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
. Although the adults are in general quite square in shape, young Ostraciidae are more rounded. The young often also exhibit brighter colors.
Classification
- Genus †EolactoriaEolactoriaEolactoria sorbinii is an extinct prehistoric boxfish that lived during the Lutetian epoch of the middle Eocene, in Monte Bolca. It had two pairs of long spines, one over each eye, and one pair beneath the anal and caudal fins, arranged very similarly to those possessed by the modern genus...
- †Eolactoria sorbinii Tyler 1976 (LutetianLutetianThe Lutetian is, in the geologic timescale, a stage or age in the Eocene. It spans the time between and . The Lutetian is preceded by the Ypresian and is followed by the Bartonian. Together with the Bartonian it is sometimes referred to as the Middle Eocene subepoch...
of Monte BolcaMonte BolcaMonte Bolca is a lagerstätte near Verona, Italy that was one of the first fossil sites with high quality preservation known to Europeans, and is still an important source of fossils from the Eocene....
, EoceneEoceneThe Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
)
- †Eolactoria sorbinii Tyler 1976 (Lutetian
- Genus †OligolactoriaOligolactoriaOligolactoria bubiki is an extinct prehistoric boxfish that lived during the Rupelian epoch from the Middle Oligocene of Moravia, Czech Republic.In life, it would have strongly resembled a modern cowfish .-See also:...
- †Oligolactoria bubiki Tyler 1980 (RupelianRupelianThe Rupelian is, in the geologic timescale, the older of two ages or the lower of two stages of the Oligocene epoch/series. It spans the time between and . It is preceded by the Priabonian stage and is followed by the Chattian stage....
of MoraviaMoraviaMoravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, OligoceneOligoceneThe Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...
Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
) - Genus Acanthostracion
- Acanthostracion guineensis (BleekerPieter BleekerPieter Bleeker was a Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, famous for his work on the fishes of East Asia – Atlas Ichthyologique des Orientales Neerlandaises – which was published 1862–1877....
, 1865). - Island cowfish, Acanthostracion notacanthus (BleekerPieter BleekerPieter Bleeker was a Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, famous for his work on the fishes of East Asia – Atlas Ichthyologique des Orientales Neerlandaises – which was published 1862–1877....
, 1863). - Honeycomb cowfishHoneycomb cowfishThe honeycomb cowfish, Acanthostracion polygonius, belongs to the Ostraciidae family and is closely related to boxfish and trunkfish....
, Acanthostracion polygonius PoeyFelipe Poey-Biography:Poey was born in Havana, the son of French and Spanish parents. He spent several years of his life in Pau then studied law in Madrid. He became a lawyer in Spain but was forced to leave due to his liberal ideas, returning to Cuba in 1823. He began to concentrate on the study of the...
, 1876. - Scrawled cowfishScrawled cowfishThe scrawled cowfish, Acanthostracion quadricornis, belongs to the Ostraciidae family and is closely related to boxfish and trunkfish. They range in size from 8-15 inches, with a maximum length of 18 inches, and can be found at depths between 6 and 80 feet.It is common to occasional in...
, Acanthostracion quadricornis (LinnaeusCarolus LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
, 1758).
- Acanthostracion guineensis (Bleeker
- Genus Lactophrys
- Spotted trunkfishSpotted trunkfishThe Spotted Trunkfish is a member of the family Ostraciidae. It can be found in reefs throughout the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean as well as the south eastern Atlantic Ocean...
, Lactophrys bicaudalis (LinnaeusCarolus LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
, 1758). - Buffalo trunkfish, Lactophrys trigonus (LinnaeusCarolus LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
, 1758). - Smooth trunkfish, Lactophrys triqueter (LinnaeusCarolus LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
, 1758).
- Spotted trunkfish
- Genus Lactoria
- Longhorn cowfishLonghorn cowfishThe longhorn cowfish, Lactoria cornuta, is a variety of boxfish from the family Ostraciidae, recognizable by its long horns that protrude from the front of its head, rather like those of a cow or bull. They are a resident of the Indo-Pacific region and can grow up to 20 inches long...
, Lactoria cornuta (LinnaeusCarolus LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
, 1758). - Roundbelly cowfish, Lactoria diaphana (BlochMarcus Elieser BlochMarcus Elieser Bloch was a German medical doctor and naturalist. He is generally considered one of the most important ichthyologists of the 18th century.- Life :...
& SchneiderJohann Gottlob SchneiderJohann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider was a German classicist and naturalist.-Biography:Schneider was born at Collm in Saxony...
, 1801). - Thornback cowfish, Lactoria fornasini (Bianconi, 1846).
- Lactoria paschae (Rendahl, 1921).
- Longhorn cowfish
- Genus OstracionOstracionThe genus Ostracion, is a member of the boxfish family containing nine species.- Species :* Yellow boxfish, Ostracion cubicus Linnaeus, 1758.* Bluetail trunkfish, Ostracion cyanurus Rüppell, 1828....
- Yellow boxfishYellow boxfishThe Yellow boxfish, Ostracion cubicus, is a boxfish of the genus Ostracion, and can be found in reefs throughout the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean as well as the south eastern Atlantic Ocean. It reaches a maximum length of 45 cm....
, Ostracion cubicus LinnaeusCarolus LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
, 1758. - Bluetail trunkfish, Ostracion cyanurus RüppellEduard RüppellWilhelm Peter Eduard Simon Rüppell was a German naturalist and explorer. Rüppell is occasionally transliterated to "Rueppell" for the English alphabet....
, 1828. - Ostracion immaculatus TemminckCoenraad Jacob TemminckCoenraad Jacob Temminck was a Dutch aristocrat and zoologist.Temminck was the first director of the National Natural History Museum at Leiden from 1820 until his death. His Manuel d'ornithologie, ou Tableau systematique des oiseaux qui se trouvent en Europe was the standard work on European birds...
& SchlegelHermann SchlegelHermann Schlegel was a German ornithologist and herpetologist.-Early life and education:Schlegel was born at Altenburg, the son of a brassfounder. His father collected butterflies, which stimulated Schlegel's interest in natural history...
, 1850. - Whitespotted boxfish, Ostracion meleagris ShawGeorge ShawGeorge Shaw was an English botanist and zoologist.Shaw was born at Bierton, Buckinghamshire and was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, receiving his M.A. in 1772. He took up the profession of medical practitioner. In 1786 he became the assistant lecturer in botany at Oxford University...
, 1796. - Shortnose boxfish, Ostracion nasus BlochMarcus Elieser BlochMarcus Elieser Bloch was a German medical doctor and naturalist. He is generally considered one of the most important ichthyologists of the 18th century.- Life :...
, 1785. - Horn-nosed boxfish, Ostracion rhinorhynchos BleekerPieter BleekerPieter Bleeker was a Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, famous for his work on the fishes of East Asia – Atlas Ichthyologique des Orientales Neerlandaises – which was published 1862–1877....
, 1852. - Reticulate boxfish, Ostracion solorensisOstracion solorensisOstracion solorensis is a Boxfish from the Western Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 12cm in length....
BleekerPieter BleekerPieter Bleeker was a Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, famous for his work on the fishes of East Asia – Atlas Ichthyologique des Orientales Neerlandaises – which was published 1862–1877....
, 1853. - Roughskin trunkfish, Ostracion trachys Randall, 1975.
- Whitley's box, Ostracion whitleyi Fowler, 1931.
- Yellow boxfish
- Genus Paracanthostracion
- Paracanthostracion lindsayi (Phillipps, 1932).
- Genus Tetrosomus
- Triangular boxfish, Tetrosomus concatenatus (BlochMarcus Elieser BlochMarcus Elieser Bloch was a German medical doctor and naturalist. He is generally considered one of the most important ichthyologists of the 18th century.- Life :...
, 1785). - Humpback turretfish, Tetrosomus gibbosus (LinnaeusCarolus LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
, 1758). - Smallspine turretfish, Tetrosomus reipublicae (OgilbyJames Douglas OgilbyJames Douglas Ogilby was an Australian ichthyologist.Ogilby was born in Belfast, Ireland, and was the son of zoologist William Ogilby. He received his education at Winchester College, England, and Trinity College, Dublin.Ogilby worked for the British Museum before joining the Australian Museum in...
, 1913). - Tetrosomus stellifer (BlochMarcus Elieser BlochMarcus Elieser Bloch was a German medical doctor and naturalist. He is generally considered one of the most important ichthyologists of the 18th century.- Life :...
& SchneiderJohann Gottlob SchneiderJohann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider was a German classicist and naturalist.-Biography:Schneider was born at Collm in Saxony...
, 1801).
- Triangular boxfish, Tetrosomus concatenatus (Bloch
Toxic Defences
The various members of this family are able to secrete cationic surfactants through their skin which can act as a chemical defense mechanism. . An example of this is pahutoxin, a water soluble, crystalline chemical toxinToxin
A toxin is a poisonous substance produced within living cells or organisms; man-made substances created by artificial processes are thus excluded...
that is contained in mucus secreted from the skin of Ostracion lentiginosus and other members of the trunkfish family when they are under stress. . Pahutoxin is a choline chloride
Choline chloride
Choline chloride is an organic compound and a quaternary ammonium salt. It has a choline cation with chloride anion. Alternative names are hepacholine, biocolina and lipotril.-Synthesis:...
ester of 3-acetoxypalmitic acid http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=985 that behaves similarly to steroidal saponins found in echinoderms. . When this toxic mucus is released from the fish, it quickly dissolves in the environment and negatively affects any fish in the surrounding area. It is possible since this toxin resembles certain detergents so closely, that adding these detergents as pollutants to seawater has potential to interfere with receptor-mediated processes in marine life. .