The Boxfish is known by many names, including the cowfish. It is a type of marine fish characterized by its strange shape, square body, and heavy armored scales.
Let’s learn more about it from teketrek.
Facts about The Boxfish
The Boxfish from the order Tetraodontiformes, which are bony fish.
The Boxfish is considered a poisonous fish that swims very slowly in the sea.
It is called the Boxfish because of its modest circular angles that give it a rectangular appearance.
The toxins of the Boxfish have evolved to deter predators such as sharks and rock cod.
However, these toxins have been found to affect humans as well.
The Boxfish is known for its ability to perform amazing maneuvering movements, being able to execute side rolls at a 180-degree angle during motion.
The Boxfish has precise control over rotation, using its tail fin as a rudder.
Boxfish spend most of their time trimming on algae and small invertebrates, feeding on crustaceans and worms.
They often snatch sponges from rocks and coral reefs.
When threatened or stressed, the Boxfish releases a toxic substance directly from its skin cells.
The Boxfish can poison all surrounding marine life and has a strong shell-like armor that we discussed earlier.
The yellow Boxfish:
It is a slow swimmer due to the lack of fins, so it should not be placed in tanks with strong currents.
Avoid tanks with few slow-moving areas for the yellow Boxfish.
High currents can pressurize the Boxfish and cause distress, leading to the release of toxins and potentially destroying the entire tank.
The Boxfish specification
The size: The size of the Boxfish ranges from 3 to 18 inches.The largest Boxfish recorded reached about 50 cm in length.
The color: When small it is bright yellow, but as it ages, the shine fades, and the yellow color turns into a dull blue, gray, and then black.
Shield: The Boxfish is characterized by a hard shield covering its body, except for the eyes, mouth, and fins. This shield is made up of compact plates.
The shape of the shield varies among Boxfish species and can be square, rectangular, triangular, or pentagonal.
The structure: The Boxfish has a bony structure that resembles a decapitated skull, with a few small holes in the skeletal cage.
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Places where Boxfish are found
Boxfish can be found in many shallow water areas or in parts of the ocean that are known to be warmer than other areas of the world’s oceans.
Boxfish can be found near coral reef areas in the Red Sea in Egypt.
It is found on sandy bottoms, sea grass beds, or seagrass meadows.
What is the diet of the Boxfish?
The Boxfish is considered both an herbivorous and carnivorous fish, as it enjoys eating all kinds of plants and meats.
Boxfish require a large amount of food. They eat slowly, consuming small and large fish as well as fast-moving fish.
Boxfish feed on live shrimp and some types of marine algae. They also consume marine plants, sea urchins, crustaceans, and mollusks.
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How to care for Boxfish
These fish should never be kept with any type of aggressive or predatory fish.
When a Boxfish feels slightly threatened or stressed, it releases a deadly poison from its skin cells, which can kill many different types of fish living with it.
Experts recommend keeping Boxfish with their own kind or with fish of the same family who are known to be the calmest in tank waters.
When choosing a specific type of Boxfish, consider their size, as these fish come in different sizes.
Some species of Boxfish prefer to hide and need ample space for open swimming.
FAQs about boxfish
1.Are boxfish venomous?
When in danger, its skin secretes a toxin into the water, poisoning nearby creatures.The Hawaiian Boxfish, in particular, produces a unique toxin called Ostracitoxin, or Pahutoxin, which has the ability to break down red blood cells.
2. Are box fish good to eat?
these toxins appear to have evolved to specifically combat gilled predators like sharks or rockcod, adverse effects from the toxin have been reported in mammals in laboratory …experiments, andThere have been reports of severe poisoning in humans who attempted to eat cooked boxfish, highlighting the danger of consuming this toxic species.
3.Is a box fish a puffer fish?
Ostraciidae, also known as Ostraciontidae, is a family of squared, bony fish belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes. They are closely related to pufferfishes and filefishes.
4.Are box fish aggressive?
Boxfish can be aggressive towards others of their own species. If you plan to keep a pair, it’s recommended to have two females and ensure they are housed in a sufficiently large tank to minimize aggression.
5.How fast is a boxfish?
six body lengths per secondDespite their tough and inflexible exterior, which might make them appear to be poor swimmers, boxfish can actually swim quite efficiently, reaching speeds of up to six body lengths per second.
6. Are boxfish endangered?
Not extinct This species has not yet been evaluated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the organization responsible for creating the Red List of Threatened Species™. As a result, we do not have sufficient information to determine its conservation status or the level of threat it may face.
Yellow boxfish/Extinction status
their populations are endangered.
7. Do box fish sleep?
The nature of fish “sleep” is an area of ongoing research. While fish don’t sleep in the same way that land mammals do, most fish do rest. Studies suggest that fish may lower their activity levels and metabolism while staying alert to potential dangers.
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