The Boxfish Family – Ostraciidae

There are SEVEN members of the Boxfish or Ostraciidae Family, five from the Atlantic Ocean and two from the Pacific Ocean, are presented in this website:

FROM THE ATLANTIC (5):

FROM THE PACIFIC (2):

The Boxfish or Ostraciidae Family are a relatively small Family includes the Boxfish and Cowfish with thirty-nine global members that have have been placed in twelve genera, of which seven species are found in Mexican waters, five in the Atlantic and two in the Pacific Ocean. They are relatively small fish that do not exceed 45 cm (18 inches) in length. They are collectively known in Mexico’s fishing areas as peces cofre.

The Boxfish are slow swimmers that generate propulsion normally using just their anal, dorsal, and pectoral fins; the caudal fin is used only on rare occasion when high speed is required. They vary in color but are generally gray, blue, or green to yellowish-brown with darker or lighter lines, bars, spots, reticulations, or symmetrical hexagonal patterns. They have a characteristic wide body that are nearly completely closed in very rigid rectangular boxes made up of bony plates. Their boxes have openings for the mouth, eyes, short gill slits, fins, and a flexible caudal peduncle.  Their terminal mouths are small and terminal with fleshy lips and less than 15 conical teeth on each jaw. Their fins are small and devoid of spines and they have no pelvic fins.

The Boxfish reside within rocky and reef structures and on open sandy bottoms and seagrass beds at depths up to 91 m (300 feet). They have a social structure consisting of a harem of 1 male and 3 or 4 females. They feed on algae, soft corals, crustaceans, sponges, truncates, and worms. They have the ability to remain motionless for long periods relying on camouflage for defense. They reproduce via pelagic eggs and pelagic larvae. The Boxfish, in general, are poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

Due to their protective external shell and toxic slime, which can kill other fish, the Boxfish are unsuitable for use in aquariums.  A few of the larger species, predominantly from the Caribbean, are of commercial interest and are caught with traps and sold for human food consumption and are considered to be an excellent food fish. Some species contain ostracitoxin in their skin.