Shortnose boxfish
A boxfish found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
The Shortnose boxfish (Ostracion nasus) is a marine ray-finned fish in the boxfish family Ostraciidae. It lives in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
German physician and naturalist Marcus Elieser Bloch first scientifically described this species in 1785, listing the type locality as the Nile Delta in Egypt—likely a mistake. It belongs to the genus *Ostracion*, which means "little box," a nod to the boxy body shape of its type species, *O. cubicum*. Its species name *nasus* means "nose," referring to the fish's short snout.
The fish has nine soft rays in both its dorsal and anal fins, and ten rays in its caudal fin, eight of which are branched. Both sexes have a short, fleshy bump overhanging the lips; this bump is thicker and wider in males. Juveniles are white to beige with large, evenly spaced spots, while adults are tan with large, irregular brown spots mostly on the upper side. The maximum recorded total length is 30 cm (12 in).
This species ranges from Sri Lanka east to Fiji, north to the Philippines, and south to northwestern Australia. It inhabits soft and rocky seafloors at depths from 2 to 80 meters (6 ft 7 in to 262 ft 6 in).
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Ostracion nasus
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The shortnose boxfish was first formally described in 1785 by the German physician and naturalist Marcus Elieser Bloch, with its type locality given as the Nile Delta, Egypt, probably erroneously. This species is classified in the genus Ostracion, which the 5th edition of Fishes of the World places within the family Ostraciidae in the suborder Ostracioidea within the order Tetraodontiformes.
The genus name Ostracion means 'little box', an allusion to the shape of the body of its type species, O. cubicum. The specific name nasus means 'nose', referring to the short snout. The shortnose boxfish has 9 soft rays supporting both the dorsal and anal fins, while the caudal fin has 10 rays, 8 of which are branched. Both sexes have a short, fleshy protuberance overhanging the lips, thicker and wider in males. Juveniles are typically white-to-beige with large, uniform spots, while adults are typically tan with large, irregular, brown spots mostly centered on the dorsal side. This species has a maximum published total length of 30 cm (12 in).
Reader's Guide
The shortnose boxfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. Its significance lies in its distinctive morphology and the taxonomic history provided by Bloch's 1785 description, though the type locality of the Nile Delta is considered probably erroneous. The species is found in the Indo-Pacific region, from Sri Lanka east to Fiji, north to the Philippines, and south to northwestern Australia, over soft and rocky substrates at depths between 2 and 80 m. Its physical characteristics, including the short fleshy protuberance over the lips and the spotted coloration that changes from juvenile to adult, contribute to its identification. The genus name Ostracion ('little box') and specific name nasus ('nose') reflect key features. The species is part of the order Tetraodontiformes, which includes other notable fish groups. Its legacy is primarily as a described species within the boxfish family, with its distribution and habitat preferences documented in the Indo-Pacific.
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