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Solor boxfish (Ostracion solorensis) — Ostraciidae

Solor boxfish

Ostracion solorensis
Family: Ostraciidae

The Solor boxfish (Ostracion solorensis) is a fish of the family Ostraciidae that grows up to 12 cm.

Length
12 cm
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless

Description

The Solor boxfish is a boxfish (Ostraciidae) from reef water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 12 cm and has a hard, box-shaped armour of fused bony plates from which only the fins, mouth and tail protrude, with a dark blue with white spots in males, black with white spots in females pattern. Swimming slowly with fluttering fins it blasts invertebrates out of the sand with a jet of water. Under strong stress it can release a toxin into the water that is harmful to other fish; on contact it is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Solor boxfish?

The Solor boxfish is mainly blue.

Where does the Solor boxfish live?

The Solor boxfish is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Solor boxfish get?

The Solor boxfish grows to a maximum of about 12 cm.

Is the Solor boxfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Solor boxfish is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Solor-koffervis sourced
English name
Solor boxfish sourced
Scientific name
Ostracion solorensis
Family
Ostraciidae

Appearance

Max length (cm)
12 sourced
Dominant colour
Blue sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred

Habitat & distribution

Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Ostracion

More from the family Ostraciidae

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