Acanthostracion guineense Codexery

Acanthostracion guineense

Source-cited species reference: taxonomy from WoRMS, biology from FishBase, description from Wikipedia.

Last updated

Acanthostracion guineense, the West African cowfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. This species is found off the coast of Western Africa in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. This species is the smallest member of the genus Acanthostracion.

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassActinopterygii
  4. DivisionTeleostei
  5. OrderTetraodontiformes
  6. FamilyOstraciidae
  7. GenusAcanthostracion
  8. SpeciesAcanthostracion guineense

Named by (Bleeker, 1865

Close relatives

Other species of Acanthostracion with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Acanthostracion guineense (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 238343 (CC BY 4.0)

Conservation status

Data Deficient (DD)

Data Deficient: there is not enough information to place this species on the risk scale.

Population trend
Not held in our sources — see the assessment
Assessment published
2015

Source: IUCN Red List assessment

How big is it?

Size comparison: Acanthostracion guineense and a personA 0.18 m long acanthostracion guineense drawn to scale next to a 1.8 m tall person. Schematic shapes, not a likeness.0.18 m1.8 m

Largest length in the source, 0.18 m, next to a 1.8 m person.

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

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Tetraodontiformes · Family: Ostraciidae · Genus: Acanthostracion.

Accepted name: Acanthostracion guineense · Authority: (Bleeker, 1865) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 238343.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Acanthostracion guineensis (Bleeker, 1865); Lactophrys guineensis (Bleeker, 1865); Ostracion guineense Bleeker, 1865; Ostracion guineensis Bleeker, 1865; Ostracion guineënsis Bleeker, 1865.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=238343 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Acanthostracion guineense. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 18 cm · Habitat zone: demersal · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Occurs on the shelf (Ref. 11227).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 23363) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Acanthostracion-guineense.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Acanthostracion guineense was first formally described as Ostracion guineense in 1865 by the Dutch physician, herpetologist and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker, with its type locality giben as "Guinea". The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the genus Acanthostracion in the within the family Ostraciidae in the suborder Ostracioidea within the order Tetraodontiformes.

Acanthostracion guineense 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 The Specific name means "of Guinea", it is sometimes written as giuneensis but the genus name is neuter so guineense is correct.

Acanthostracion guineense has a maximum published total length of 18 cm.

Acanthostracion guineense is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean along the coast of Western Africa between Mauritania and Angola. It occurs at depths between 0 and 200 m on the continental shelf.

Acanthostracion guineense is classified as data deficient by the IUCN, it is common in some parts of its range but there is very little data on population, life history or ecology.

Source: Wikipedia: Acanthostracion guineense — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthostracion_guineense (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Test yourself

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

1. What is the IUCN Red List category of the Acanthostracion guineense?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Data Deficient.

From the source: “Acanthostracion guineense is classified as data deficient by the IUCN, it is common in some parts of its range but there is very little data on population, life history or ecology.”

2. To which biological family does the Acanthostracion guineense belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Ostraciidae.

From the source: “Acanthostracion guineense, the West African cowfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes.”

3. To which biological order does the Acanthostracion guineense belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Tetraodontiformes.

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

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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