Reticulate boxfish (Ostracion solorense)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Ostracion solorense · Authority: Bleeker, 1853 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 278936.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Ostracion solorensis Bleeker, 1853.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278936 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 12 cm · Depth range: 1–20 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Fishery importance: of no interest · Aquarium trade: commercial.

FishBase notes: Inhabits clear coastal reefs in rich invertebrate habitat on shallow crests or upper zone of slopes to about 15 meters depth (Ref. 48637). Solitary or in pairs (Ref. 90102). Relatively uncommon inhabitant of coral rich areas of seaward reefs. Sexually dimorphic (Ref. 37816).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 6577) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Ostracion-solorense.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

408 georeferenced occurrence records for Ostracion solorense are published through GBIF from 10 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 91 distinct locations from a sample of 408 records, omitting 12 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: Philippines (181); Indonesia (152); Fiji (17); Solomon Islands (15); Timor-Leste (12); Australia (11); Malaysia (8); Papua New Guinea (6); New Caledonia (3); Palau (3).

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 11207057) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=11207057&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278936 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Ostracion solorense Bleeker, 1853 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 193603) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/193603/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 11207057) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/11207057/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Ostracion solorense was first formally described in 1853 by the Dutch physician, herpetologist and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker with its type locality given as Lawajong on Solor Island, Indonesia. This species is classified in the genus Ostracion which the 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies within the family Ostraciidae in the suborder Ostracioidea within the order Tetraodontiformes.

Ostracion solorense is classified in the genus Ostracion, this name means "little box" and is an allusion to the shape of the body of its type species, O. cubicum. The specific name, solorense means "of Solor", the type locality.

Ostracion solorense has nine soft rays in both the dorsal and anal fins. The overall colour of the males varies from bluish-grey to blackish with thin light blue sinuous lines on the back, a wide dark stripe with paler wavy lines on the upper flank and white spots withnblack marginms along the flanks.

The females have black lines on the upper body, the sides are yellowish to greenish brown with a network of black lines. There is a characteristic bony protuberance above the upper lip. This species has a maximum published total length of 12 cm.

Ostracion solorense is found in the eastern Indian Ocean at Rowley Shoals and Christmas Island and in the Pacific as far east as Palau and Fiji. The reticulate boxfish is found at depths between 1 and 20 m on coastal reefs in clear waters.

Source: Wikipedia: Ostracion solorense — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostracion_solorense (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.