Lactophrys trigonus
| Latin name | Lactophrys trigonus |
|---|---|
| Local name | Buffalo trunkfish |
| Family | Ostraciidae - Lactophrys |
| Origin | West Indian Ocean, The Mexican Golf, West Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea |
| Max length | 55 cm (21.7") |
| Minimum volume |
2000 l (528 gal) 
|
|---|---|
| Hardiness |
Unknown
|
| Suitable for aquarium |
Experience, preparation and extra care required
|
| Reef safe |
Not reef safe
|
| Aggressiveness | Unknown |
| Mostly |
Larger crustaceans (Shrimp, crabs...) Macroalgea (Eg. seaweed / nori) Microalgea (Eg. spirulina) Other invertebrates Small crustaceans (Krill, mysis, artemia...) |
|---|
This species eats shrimps, crayfish, crabs, small bivalves, sea urchins, snails and similar.
There is little available knowledge of this species, so there can be important information missing on this page.
This species has a toxin in its skin, which it releases when highly stressed or dying.
This poison can kill all the aquatic life in the aquarium, if unlucky.
This species needs a very large aquarium when fully grown.
Exactly how big the aquarium should be is hard to say, but the size of this species is such, that it cannot normally be kept in a home aquarium.
Boxfish(Ostraciidae) have a unique square shape and a particular way of swimming.
They have a rather special personality, which one quickly comes to love.
Boxfish live typically off a mixture of algae, coral polyps, zooplankton, and in some cases crustaceans.
They are not normally reef safe and when small will require gentle water circulation.
Boxfish can secrete a poison when stressed or if they die, which can in the worst case, kill the contents of a whole aquarium.
Never use the water the fish was transported in.
Bob Fenner. The Puffers Called Box-, Cowfishes, family Ostraciidae - Wet Web Media - (English)
Richard Aspinall. 2012. Oddballs for the Marine Aquarium - Tropical Fish Hobbyist - (English)