#cowfish

[peskypixel]

Beloved cowfish

[likesplatterpaint]

Painted a little cowfish since my middle schoolers are working on fish paintings right now as the quarter wraps up. I'm quite proud of him!

Reference photo from the Florida Aquarium's FB page.

[bethanythebogwitch]

When they say "be there or be square", today's Wet Beast Wednesday subject chose "square". I am referring to boxfish. Also known as cowfish, trunkfish, and cofferfish, these real-life Minecraft fish are bony fish in the family Ostraciidae, sometimes called Ostraciontidae. This makes them close relatives of pufferfish and file fish in the order Tetraodontiformes. While all the Tetraodontiformes are weird-looking fish, the cowfish are easily the strangest, they don't even really look that much like fish.

(image: the yellow boxfish Ostracion cubicum. They literally named it "cube")

The squarish shape of the boxfish comes from their unique skeleton. They have a carapace made of overlapping, hexagonal plates called dermal scutes that are the equivalent of scales in other fish. Each plate is composed of a soft and bendable collagen layer and mineralized surface layer. This carapace is very sturdy, with holes in it to allow for the eyes, mouth, fins, and cloaca to pass through. In game terminology, the cowfishes are stone walls. Because of the composition of the carapace, boxfish are fully rigid and cannot bend their bodies in any direction. This, combined with their not-overly hydrodynamic shapes, makes them slow and weak swimmers. When they filled out their character sheets they went all-in on defense and neglected speed and offense. A boxfish won't be winning any races, but the carapace is extremely hard to bite through or puncture, giving an effective defense. Despite their small sizes (the largest species can get up to 50 cm/20 in long, and most species are much smaller), adult boxfish have almost no natural predators. It's worth noting that while boxfish are slow swimmers, they are very maneuverable. They have the ability to create small vortices around their bodies to help maneuver.

(image: a boxfish skeleton)

(image: a boxfish with its hexagonal carapace visible through its skin)

Not satisfied with having an impenetrable shell, many species of boxfish developed another defense mechanism. When stressed, they can release poison into the water. These poisons are surfactants, substances that break up surface tension, that can damage the cell membranes of other animals. While each species has their own specific chemical and not every species is poisonous, these toxins are collectively called pahutoxins. Poison is a pretty common thing in the Tetraodontiformes. Famously, pufferfish, close relatives of boxfish, are highly poisonous. Most poisonous boxfish species are brightly colored. This is called aposematism and is used as a warning to potential predators that the animal is dangerous. A famous example of aposematism is the brightly-colored poison dart frogs. Young boxfish are typically more colorful than older ones.

(image: a longhorn cowfish Lactoria cornuta)

Boxfish are voracious omnivores that will eat just about anything that can fit in their tiny mouths. The majority of boxfish species live in coral reefs and their diet consists largely of algae that they scrape off of coral. Additional foods include sponges, tube worms, mollusks, and small fish and invertebrates. Some species can spit out water to blow aside sand and search for buried food.

(image: Ostracion meleagris, the spotted boxfish)

Boxfish are typically solitary, but occasionally come together in small groups. These groups typically consist of one male and a few females. Scientists speculate these groups are formed for reproduction. They are known to reproduce by swimming to the surface of the water, releasing their gametes, and quickly swimming away.

(Aracana ornata, the ornate boxfish)

Because of their unique appearances, boxfish are popular in aquariums. They are recommended for experts only because of their ability to release poison. Boxfish are easily stressed and can kill themselves and other tank-mates by releasing toxin. Aquarists usually say they should be kept in solo tanks or with smaller, mild-mannered tank-mates. In addition, they need to be in tanks with minimal water flow as even the current of a decently-sized filter can blow them around uncontrollably. People who keep boxfish have called them shy, but highly inquisitive and even playful. They have been reported spitting water and their handlers, apparently in an attempt to get attention.

(image: Lactoria forasini, the thornback boxfish)

[blueiscoool]

Cowfish

A small cowfish washed up on Pass-A-Grille beach in St. Pete Beach, Florida.

Moooooooooooo ......

📸 BlueisCoool on flickr

[aticketplz]

「つめたい海のフグ」水槽にいるフグが鮮やかでよかった

AB

CD

とすると

A. ホワイトバードボックスフィッシュ

B. ショーズカウフィッシュ

C. オルネートカウフィッシュ・オス

D. オルネートカウフィッシュ・メス

となるんですけど、BとDのほうがいいカップルっぽくない？と思った(どうでもいい)

@海響館

The pufferfish in the "Cold Sea Pufferfish" tank was vivid and nice.

Let's say the four photos are

AB

CD,

A. White-barred boxfish

B. Striped cowfish

C. Ornate cowfish male

D. Ornate cowfish female

I thought B and D were a couple haha

@Kaikyokan

[archiemcphee]

Aquarium Fish Finger Puppets

In the ocean, the best and most interesting fish might be gray and flat, but at the aquarium, we value fish for their bright colors and odd appearance. These Aquarium Fish Finger Puppets come in four different styles: Cowfish, Red Passion Discus, Bicolor Angelfish and the ever-popular Seahorse. They are the showboats of the aquatic world! They are made of soft vinyl and are between 3" and 4-1/4" long. Choose your fish!

[v8ftw-again]

[zimzagoon]

The magnificent cowfish

[nyctibiius]

ended up in a sea-themed truck stop (in a land-locked country???) didn’t have enough cash for the cowfish so i left in a state of emotional turmoil.

[my-friends-3ds]

11 / 09 / 2023 15 : 37 🅌

11 / 09 / 2023 15 : 37 🅌

The camera loves you darling!

[tiredseapotato]

silly ahhh fish

[libbyeth]

Mermay day 11 cowboy

[fishgirl514]

hiii fishgirl we love u - cosigned me and every yellowfin tuna in existence ^-^

oh em gee …. i m ur biggest fan <3

[cheesecattheneutral]

Fuckass fish

[sam-dugesian]

Cowfish fact

Cowfish have a net negative current resistence.

Their box-like shape allows water to flow smoothly over the part of their body facing the direction the current is coming from while causing it to circulate on the reverse side of their body.

This creates and area of low pressure at the part of the body the current comes from and high pressure at the opposite side.

The overall effect means that the force of the water itself pulls the fish towards the current's origin.

This has 2 evolutionary advantages.

First of all, small cuttlefish that would normal use a blast of water to deter or deflect a predator only draw the cowfish closer where the fish can take a glancing bite.

Secondly, certain predator fish such as stonefish, blobfish and frogfish use a suction gulp to catch small fish but when used against a cowfish this instead blows the prey away from them.

This strange aquadynamic effect works no matter what direction the cowfish is actually facing and the cowfish can simply swallow water to slightly round out its shape to create the reverse effect and prevent itself from being washed away.

This is why no matter the currents cowfish will appear to almost hover in place as they are hardly moved much by strong currents.

[aticketplz]

英語で「落書きされハコフグ」って意味なんだって

確かにそんな模様です

@竹島水族館

It seems there's an English term 'Scrawled cowfish' which makes sense as it indeed has such patterns!

@Takeshima Aquarium