The honeycomb cowfish (''Acanthostracion polygonius''), is a species of marine

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. They are so called because of their lightly built fins made of webbings of sk ...

belonging to the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Ostraciidae Ostraciidae or Ostraciontidae is a family of squared, Actinopterygii, bony fish belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes, closely related to the pufferfishes and filefishes. Fish in the family are known variously as boxfishes, cofferfishes, cowfi ...

, the boxfishes. This fish is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

Taxonomy

The honeycomb cowfish was first formally described as ''Acanthostracion polygonius'' in 1876 by the Cuban

zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...

Felipe Poey Felipe Poey (May 26, 1799 – January 28, 1891) was a Cuban zoologist. Biography Poey was born in Havana, the son of French and Spanish parents. He spent several years (1804 to 1807) of his life in Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Pau then studied ...

with Cuba given as its type locality. The 5th edition of ''

Fishes of the World ''Fishes of the World'' is a standard reference for the systematics of fishes. It was first written in 1976 by the American ichthyologist Joseph S. Nelson (1937–2011). Now in its fifth edition (2016), the work is a comprehensive overview of t ...

'' classifies the genus ''

Acanthostracion ''Acanthostracion'' is a genus of Marine life, marine Actinopterygii, ray-finned fishes belonging to the Family (biology), family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. These fishes are found in the Atlantic Ocean. Taxonomy ''Acanthostracion'' was first pr ...

'' in the within the family Ostraciidae in the

suborder Order () is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between family and class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and recognized ...

Ostracioidea Ostracioidea or Ostracioidei, the boxfishes, is a suborder of ray-finned fishes belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes, which also includes the pufferfishes, filefishes and triggerfishes. The fishes in this taxon are found in the Atlantic, India ...

within the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

Tetraodontiformes Tetraodontiformes (), also known as the Plectognathi, is an order of ray-finned fishes which includes the pufferfishes and related taxa. This order has been classified as a suborder of the order Perciformes, although recent studies have found ...

Etymology

The honeycomb cowfish is classified within the genus ''Acanthostracion'', this name combines ''acanthus'', which means "spine" or "thorn", with ''ostracion''. Bleeker originally proposed this taxon as a subgenus of the genus ''

Ostracion ''Ostracion'' is a genus of Marine life, marine Actinopterygii, ray-finned fishes belonging to the Family (biology), family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. These fishes are found in the Indo-Pacific region as far east as the eastern Pacific coasts of ...

'' The

Specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

, ''polygonius'', means "many angled", a reference to the hexagonal patterning on the carapce of this fish.

Description

The honeycomb cowfish has armor-like, hexagonal scales covering most of its body. It is named for its unique honeycomb-like pattern and "horns". This pattern helps the fish to blend in with coral reefs. Most honeycomb cowfish tend to be blue in color, but can also be yellow, gray, or green. Juveniles are generally more colorful than adults. They have no pelvic fins, and the caudal fin is rounded. Honeycomb cowfish have several modified bony scales and "horns." These serve as a means of protection. Honeycomb cowfish can be distinguished from similar fish by the two spines above their eyes and hexagonal pattern. Compared to other boxfish, the honeycomb cowfish has a smaller, protruding mouth and fleshy lips. The maximum body length is 50 centimeters, but the average length is 25 centimeters.

Distribution

This species is distributed throughout the western Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea, and waters near Brazil. They are absent throughout most of the Gulf of Mexico, but there are populations around Florida.

Habitat

The honeycomb cowfish lives in warm, clear waters near coral reefs, sea grass beds, and in estuaries. It is an uncommon and cautious species.

Behavior

Honeycomb cowfish are usually solitary, but can be seen in groups of threes consisting of one male and two females. Little is known about their reproduction, but they are known to mate in open water. They have been observed quickly swimming to the surface in pairs, releasing their gametes, and quickly swimming back down. Honeycomb cowfish have the ability to change color in order to protect themselves from predation. Once camouflaged, the fish can remain stationary for long periods of time. The juveniles have better swimming abilities than adults due to their rounder bodies.

Diet

Feeding occurs during the day. Their diet consists of small marine invertebrates including shrimp, sponges, algae, tunicates, and worms.

Human use

The honeycomb cowfish is considered to be a valuable food fish. It is marketed fresh, and is prized in the Caribbean where it is abundant. There have been several reports of

ciguatera poisoning Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP), also known as ciguatera, is a foodborne illness caused by eating tropical reef fish contaminated with ciguatoxins. Such individual fish are said to be ciguatoxic. Symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, numbness, ...

from the consumption of this fish. It is also sold commercially as an aquarium fish.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q481695 honeycomb cowfish honeycomb cowfish Fish of Aruba Fish of the Eastern United States Fish of the Western Atlantic