Yellow Boxfish

Ostracion cubicum

Juveniles bright yellow with black spots, in the course of growth there is a change of colouration, large males blue-grey and with bulge on tip of the snout.

Size : 45 cm

Habitat : In lagoons and not too exposed areas of outreefs, usually in coral-rich areas, 1-40 m. A loner. Juveniles at protected places, e.g. below small overhangs, between rocks or branched coral. Adults also swim above open areas. Feed on various small bottom-dwelling invertebrates also from algae growth.
A relatively common boxfish, only moderately shy.

Distribution : Red Sea, Arabian Gulf, Gulf from Oman and East Africa to SW Japan, French Polynesia and New Zealand.

Classification

KINGDOM

:

Animalia

PHYLUM

:

Chordata

CLASS

:

Actinopterygii

ORDER

:

Tetraodontiformes

FAMILY

:

Ostraciidae

GENUS

:

Ostracion

SPECIES

:

Ostracion cubicum

Other Information

Population Status

Not Evaluated (NE)

PHOTO COLLECTION

Reference

  1. inaturalist.org
  2. Reef Fishes of the Indo-Pacific. Book by Matthias Bergbauer and Manuela Kirschner