©Anne Hoggett: At least five Ostracion cubicus crowded into a hole near the outer crest of Ribbon Reef 10 near Lizard Island.
Colours
Distinguishing features
A medium sized fish with a distinct box-like bony cover to the body. Small individuals are yellow with black spots, while larger specimens are dark brown with small blue dots. Very large individuals are purple grey with indistinct spots and a prominent lump above the mouth.
Size
- Up to 45 cm (Standard length)
Depth range
- Depth range data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
Areas of rich coral growth with nearby areas of rubble for feeding.
Can be found in most sheltered locations around the island.
Behaviour
The Yellow Boxfish is a benthic omnivore, feeding on a wide variety of invertebrates such as crustaceans, ascidians, worms, and molluscs, and it will also take some algae. It is usually seen singly, swimming slowly using the dorsal and anal fins, and will usually retreat to a shelter if approached closely. Boxfishes have a skin poison which they secrete if threatened, and this can be fatal to other fishes kept with the boxfish in a small aquarium.
Web resources
References
- Bray, R.A., T.H. Cribb and J.-L. Justine (2010). Diploproctodaeum sp(p). (Digenea, Lepocreadiidae) in Australian and New Caledonian waters including two new species from Tetraodontiformes and new records of related species, Acta Parasitologica, 55: 313-326. LIRS catalog number 1315.
- Bray, R., A. Waeschenbach, T.H. Cribb, G.D. Weedall, P. Dyal and D.T.J. Littlewood (2009). The phylogeny of the Lepocreadioidea (Platyhelminthes, Digenea) inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial genes: implications for their systematics and evolution, Acta Parasitologica, 54: 310-329. LIRS catalog number 1280.
- Jabbar, A., A. Asnoussi, L.J. Norbury, A. Eisenbarth, S. Shamsi, R.B. Gasser, A.L. Lopata and I. Beveridge (2012). Larval anisakid nematodes in teleost fishes from Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research, 63: 1283-1299. LIRS catalog number 1584.
- View all references