Bluespotted boxfish (Ostracion immaculatum)
Source-cited species reference: taxonomy from WoRMS, biology from FishBase, occurrence map from GBIF, conservation from IUCN Red List, description from Wikipedia.
Ostracion immaculatum, the bluespotted boxfish or immaculate boxfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. This species is found in the Western Pacific Ocean off Eastern Asia.
- Scientific name
- Ostracion immaculatum
- Authority
- Temminck & Schlegel, 1850
- Family
- Ostraciidae
- Order
- Tetraodontiformes
- Maximum length
- 25 cm
- Habitat zone
- demersal
- Iucn red list
- Least Concern
- Gbif occurrence records
- 333
Classification (WoRMS)
Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Tetraodontiformes · Family: Ostraciidae · Genus: Ostracion.
Accepted name: Ostracion immaculatum · Authority: Temminck & Schlegel, 1850 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 278934.
Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Lactoria cubicus; Ostracion immaculatus Temminck & Schlegel, 1850.
Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278934 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Biology and life history (FishBase)
Measured values published by FishBase for Ostracion immaculatum. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.
Maximum length: 25 cm · Habitat zone: demersal · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 20.5 of 100.
FishBase notes: Occurs near shore (incl. semi-enclosed sea areas) on rock bottoms (Ref. 11230).
Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 12825) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Ostracion-immaculatum.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)
333 georeferenced occurrence records for Ostracion immaculatum are published through GBIF from 13 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 58 distinct locations from a sample of 333 records, omitting 18 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.
Most records by country or area: Japan (161); Korea, Republic of (78); Chinese Taipei (58); Hong Kong (15); Indonesia (6); Philippines (4); New Caledonia (3); Thailand (3); China (1); Egypt (1); Myanmar (1); Malaysia (1); Mozambique (1).
Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 5213785) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=5213785&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278934 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Conservation status (IUCN Red List)
The IUCN Red List assesses Ostracion immaculatum Temminck & Schlegel, 1850 as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.
Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 193682) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/193682/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 5213785) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/5213785/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Description and natural history (Wikipedia)
Ostracion immaculatum was first formally described as Ostracion immaculatus in 1850 by Coenraad Jacob Temminck and Hermann Schlegel with its type locality given as Japan.
The genus name Ostracion means "little box" and alludes to the shape of the body of the type species, O. cubicum. The specific name, immaculatum means "unspotted" and is a reference to the unspotted appearance of this fish when preserved in alcohol, although in life they are covered with spots.
Ostracion immaculatum are yellow and blue in colour as adults with light blue spots on each of the plate=like scales that form the carapace. The juveniles are bright yellow with small pale blue and black spots, the black spots fade as the fish grows and the blue spots expand. This species has a maximum published standard length of 25 cm.
Ostracium immaculatum is found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean from the southern coiats of Hokkaido south through the Japanese archipelago to Taiwan and along the mainland coast of Asia from Korea to Hong Kong. It is found at deptsh between 1 and 60 m on reefs close to the shore in shallow water where there is a rocky bottom.
Ostracion immaculatus lives in small groups consisting of a single male and three or four females.
Source: Wikipedia: Ostracion immaculatum — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostracion_immaculatum (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced