| Acanthostracion | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Acanthostracion polygonius | |
 | |
| Acanthostracion quadricornis (Juvenile) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Suborder: | Ostracioidea |
| Family: | Ostraciidae |
| Genus: | Acanthostracion Bleeker, 1865 |
| Type species | |
| Ostracion quadricornis | |
Acanthostracion is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. These fishes are found in the Atlantic Ocean.
Acanthostracion was first proposed as a subgenus of Ostracion in 1865 by the Dutch physician, herpetologist and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker. Bleeker did not designate a type species when he first used the name in his paper Notice sur les ostracions, confondus sous le nom d'Ostracion quadricornis L. et description des Ostracion notacanthus et guineensis but designated Ostracion quadricornis as the type species later in 1865 when he published his Atlas ichthyologique des Indes Orientalis Neerlandais. [1] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies this genus within the family Ostraciidae in the suborder Ostracioidea within the order Tetraodontiformes. [2]
Acanthostracion combines acanthus, which means "spine" or "thorn", with ostracion. Bleeker originally proposed this taxon as a subgenus of the genus Ostracion . [3]
There are currently 4 recognized species in this genus: [4]
Acanthosracion cowfishes have an oblong, boroad body whichis encased within a bony carapace made up of thickened, typically hexagonal plate-like scales whichare sutured together. This carapce does not enclose the mouth, eyes, gill slits, fins and the caudal peduncle and caudal fin although it does encircle the bases of the dorsal and anal fins. There are large spine which preject in front of the eyes. There are also spines at the lower rear angle of the carapace and the rearmost plate-like scales on the upper and lower caudal peduncle are expanded into small spines. The small mouth sits at the friont of the snout and it has fleshy lips and around 15 moderately sized conical teeth in each jaw. [5] These cowfishes have maximum published total lengths from 18 cm (7.1 in) in the West African cowfish to 55 cm (22 in) in the scrawled cowfish. [4]
Acanthosracion cowfishes are restricted to the Atlantic Ocean with two Western Atlantic species distributed from New Jersey to Brazil in the Western Atlanticand two species in the eastern Atlantic off West Africa, as well as the Azores, Saint Helena, and Ascension Island. [6]
The honeycomb cowfish belongs to family Ostraciidae. It is also known simply as the trunkfish or cowfish.
Ostraciidae or Ostraciontidae is a family of squared, bony fish belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes, closely related to the pufferfishes and filefishes. Fish in the family are known variously as boxfishes, cofferfishes, cowfishes and trunkfishes. It contains about 23 extant species in 6 extant genera.
The scrawled cowfish is a species of boxfish native to the western tropical and equatorial Atlantic, as well as the Gulf of Mexico. They range in size from 8–15 inches (20–38 cm), with a maximum length of 18 inches (46 cm), and can be found at depths between 6 and 80 feet. It is common to occasional in Florida and Bahamas; occasional to uncommon in the Caribbean. It also occurs in the Gulf of Mexico, north to Massachusetts, Bermuda and south to Brazil in tropical and warm temperate waters.
Aracanidae, the deep sea boxfishes or temperate boxfishes, are a family of marine ray-finned fishes belonong to the order Tetraodontiformes, which also includes the pufferfishes, triggerfishes and ocean sunfishes. The fishes in this family are found in the Indo-West Pacific region, particularly in the waters around Australia.
Cantherhines dumerilii is a species of fish in the family Monacanthidae, the filefishes. Its common names include whitespotted filefish, barred filefish, orange-fin file, and yelloweye leatherjacket. It is distributed in the Indian and Pacific Oceans where it is found on coral reefs.
Anoplocapros is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. These fishes are endemic to the waters around Australia.
Aracana is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. These fishes are endemic to the waters around Australia.
Caprichthys is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. The only species in the genus is the rigid boxfish, also known as the black-spotted boxfish or ornate pigmy boxfish which is endemic to southwestern Australia.
Capropygia is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. The only species in the genus is the black-banded pigmy boxfish, also known as the spiny boxfish which is endemic to southern Australia.
Kentrocapros is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. These fishes are found in the coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Polyplacapros is a monospecific genus of ray-finned fish beloning to the family Aracanidae, the temperate boxfishes or deep water boxfishes. The only species in the genus is Polyplacapros tyleri, Tyler's boxfish, which is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Tripodichthys is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triacanthidae, the triplespines or tripodfishes. The three species in this genus are found in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean in shallow water over soft substrates.
Aracana ornata, the ornate cowfish or ornate boxfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. This species is endemic to the seas off southern Australia.
Aracana aurita, Shaw's cowfish, painted boxfish, Southern cowfish or striped cowfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. This species is endemic to the seas off southern Australia.
Anoplocapros lenticularis, the white-barred boxfish, flame boxfish, high-backed boxfish, humpback boxfish, humpty dumpty or smooth boxfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. This fish is endemic to the seas of southern and western Australia.
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, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
The Western smooth boxfish, also known as the blue boxfish or robust boxfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or tempereate boxfishes. This fish is endemic to the seas of southwestern Australia.
Kentrocapros aculeatus, the Itomaki basketfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish beloning to the family Aracanidae, the temperate boxfishes or deepwater boxfishes. This species is found in the north western and central Pacific Ocean.
Kentrocapros flavimaculatus is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the temperate boxfishes or deepwater boxfishes. This species is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean around New Zealand and was first formally described in 2023.
Kentrocapros rosapinto, the basketfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the temperate boxfishes or deepwater boxfishes. This fish is found in the Western Indian Ocean and in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean.