Pufferfish and Boxfish Codexery

Tetrosomus reipublicae

A boxfish with two dorsal spines and a quadrangular body.

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Tetrosomus reipublicae

Hisavitcher / WEB fish picture book · via Wikipedia: Smallspine turretfish · CC BY 3.0

The genus name Tetrosomus combines "tetra" (four) and "somus" (body), referring to the fish's quadrangular body shape.[1] Gilbert Percy Whitley, an Australian ichthyologist, originally described this boxfish as Triorus reipublicae in 1930, designating Moreton Bay, Queensland as the type locality.[2]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassActinopterygii
  4. DivisionTeleostei
  5. OrderTetraodontiformes
  6. FamilyOstraciidae
  7. GenusTetrosomus
  8. SpeciesTetrosomus reipublicae

Named by (Whitley, 1930)

Close relatives

Other species of Tetrosomus with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Smallspine turretfish (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 279259 (CC BY 4.0)

How big is it?

Size comparison: Tetrosomus reipublicae and a personA 0.3 m long tetrosomus reipublicae drawn to scale next to a 1.8 m tall person. Schematic shapes, not a likeness.0.3 m1.8 m

Largest length in the source, 0.3 m, next to a 1.8 m person.

Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Smallspine turretfish

Where the tetrosomus reipublicae has been recorded

Where the tetrosomus reipublicae has been recorded61 mapped locations from 1,065 GBIF occurrence records; marked places: Moreton Bay, Queensland, Tathra, New South Wales, Tasman SeaMoreton BayQueenslandTathra, New South WalesTasman Sea

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (1,065 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 29 inland records left out (institution coordinates). 1 isolated far-off record not drawn.

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Quick Facts

Maximum total length
30 cm (12 in)
Type locality
Moreton Bay, Queensland
First described by
Gilbert Percy Whitley
Year described
1930
Original name
Triorus reipublicae
Family
Ostraciidae
Order
Tetraodontiformes

Facts from the source article.

Biology and range

In Australia, its range extends from Albany to northeast of the Monte Bello Islands in Western Australia, and from north Queensland south to Tathra, New South Wales, as well as the Lord Howe Province.[3] The Fishes of Australia account warns that the flesh and internal organs of this species should not be consumed, as related species are considered poisonous.[3] Inshore reefs and seagrass meadows are the habitats where this species is found.[4] A length of 22 cm is the size this species attains, as recorded by the museum.[5]

A triangular cross-section characterizes the hard carapace of this fish.[5] Along the dorsal ridge on the back, two spines are present.[4] A pointed snout and a small mouth are features of this species.[6] The anal fin is positioned behind the dorsal fin.[6]

Dark spots mark the juveniles, and as they mature, they develop an increasing number of blue spots and lines.[4]

What the specialist sources record

The Fishes of Australia account explains that the similar Humpback Turretfish, Tetrosomus gibbosus, differs in having a strongly elevated dorsal ridge with a large single spine at the tip, a concave snout profile, and a rounded caudal fin.[3] The GBIF database holds 1,157 occurrence records for this taxon as of 7 October 2026.[7] The World Register of Marine Species lists the species as accepted within the family Ostraciidae, order Tetraodontiformes, class Teleostei, with a marine environment.[8] The museum notes that Tetrosomus concatenatus is the name under which this species has frequently appeared in various publications.[5]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Smallspine turretfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Christopher Scharpf, "Order TETRAODONTIFORMES: Families MOLIDAE, BALISTIDAE, MONACANTHIDAE, ARACANIDAE and OSTRACIIDAE", Christopher Scharpf, 21 August 2024 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Smallspine turretfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; Mark McGrouther, "Smallspine Turretfish, Tetrosomus reipublicae (Whitley, 1930)", Australiam Museum, 18 January 2019; Bray, D.J., "Tetrosomus reipublicae", Fishes of Australia, 2021; "Fishes of the World", John Wiley & Sons, 2016, p. 518–526 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Bray, D.J., "Tetrosomus reipublicae", Fishes of Australia, 2021. facts only, no text reused. fishesofaustralia.net.au
  4. Wikipedia, "Smallspine turretfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bray, D.J., "Tetrosomus reipublicae", Fishes of Australia, 2021 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Mark McGrouther, "Smallspine Turretfish, Tetrosomus reipublicae (Whitley, 1930)", Australiam Museum, 18 January 2019. facts only, no text reused. australian.museum
  6. Wikipedia, "Smallspine turretfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Mark McGrouther, "Smallspine Turretfish, Tetrosomus reipublicae (Whitley, 1930)", Australiam Museum, 18 January 2019; (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  7. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Tetrosomus reipublicae (taxon key 2408168). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org
  8. World Register of Marine Species, Tetrosomus reipublicae (AphiaID 279259). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Smallspine turretfish (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Same family (Ostraciidae)

Lactophrys trigonus Lactophrys trigonusLactoria cornuta Lactoria cornuta

More in Pufferfish and Boxfish

LactoriaLactophrysOstraciidaeAcanthostracionParacanthostracionOstracion nasusTetrosomusAcanthostracion guineenseHoneycomb cowfishIsland cowfishScrawled cowfishLactophrys triqueter

Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. To which biological order does the Tetrosomus reipublicae belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Tetraodontiformes.

From the source: “The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the genus Tetrosomus within the family Ostraciidae in the suborder Ostracioidea within the order Tetraodontiformes.”

2. Who first scientifically described the Tetrosomus reipublicae?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Gilbert Percy Whitley.

From the source: “The smallspine turretfisj was first formally described as Triorus reipublicae in 1930 by the Australian ichthyologist Gilbert Percy Whitley with its type locality given as Moreton Bay in Queensland.”

3. In what year was Tetrosomus reipublicae first scientifically described?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1930.

From the source: “The smallspine turretfisj was first formally described as Triorus reipublicae in 1930 by the Australian ichthyologist Gilbert Percy Whitley with its type locality given as Moreton Bay in Queensland.”

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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