Aracana aurita
| Striped cowfish | |
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| Illustration from 1904's Kunstformen der Natur | |
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| A specimen at the California Academy of Sciences | |
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| Species: | A. aurita
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| Binomial name | |
| Aracana aurita (G. Shaw, 1798)
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Aracana aurita, striped cowfish, Shaw's cowfish, striped boxfish, painted boxfish , southern cowfish , or Shaw's boxfish is a species of boxfish native to the Eastern Indian Ocean. The species was first described by George Shaw in 1798.[1] It is carnivorous and exposes prey in the benthic zone by blowing a jet of water onto sediment.[2]
Morphology
The striped cowfish is larger than its close cousin the ornate cowfish, with a maximum length of 20 cm.[3] The species is sexually dimorphic. Females and juveniles are pale orange to brown with irregular brown and white lines, while males bright orange with blue lines and spots.[2]
The fish's body is encased in a rigid box-like carapace made of large bony plates.[2] It has three curved spines on top, one on the mid side and three along the bottom.
References
- ^ "Aracana aurita", FishBase
- ^ a b c Bray, Dianne. "Shaw's Cowfish, Aracana aurita". Fishes of Australia. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
- ^ "Aracana aurita", Encyclopedia of Life
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