Lactoria cornuta

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular names
English : Longhorn cowfish
French : Poisson vache à longues cornes

Classification
Class : Teleostei
Order : Tetraodontiformes
Family : Ostraciidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Rectangular box-shaped body with long horns above each eyes and below each side of tail peduncle. Coloration variable from beige to yellow with clear white to blue spots. Nearly flat back.

Range and habitat
Indo-Pacific, from Red Sea and east Africa to Tuamoto Islands, to south Japan and Lord Howe Island. Found in inshore and coastal muddy and sandy habitats, weedy areas, estuaries.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : NOT LISTED
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species has a huge range but is very popular and often collected for the aquarium trade. Also marketed dried to make ornaments. These potential threats have not been assessed properly so far.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

Back to “Other Tetraodontiformes species” page