Ostracion cubicum, Yellow boxfish : fisheries, aquarium

You can sponsor this page

Ostracion cubicum Linnaeus, 1758

Yellow boxfish
Upload your photos and videos
Pictures | Videos | Stamps, Coins Misc. | Google image
Image of Ostracion cubicum (Yellow boxfish)
Ostracion cubicum
Picture by Randall, J.E.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and filefishes) > Ostraciidae (Boxfishes)
Etymology: Ostracion: Greek, ostrakon = shell (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Linnaeus.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 280 m (Ref. 50734), usually 1 - 50 m (Ref. 9806). Tropical; 30°N - 32°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: Persian Gulf (Ref.80050), Red Sea and East Africa (Ref. 3141) to the Hawaiian and Tuamoto islands, north to Ryukyu Islands, south to Lord Howe Island.
The Red Sea population differs slightly in coloration and has been known as Ostracion argus.
Closely related to Ostracion immaculatum from southern Japan. Southeast Atlantic: south coast of South Africa (Ref. 3141).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 45.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9806)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-9; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 9. Caudal fin rays 10. Juveniles bright yellow with black spots; the spots decrease proportionately and the bright yellow becomes a dirty mustard with growth; large adults become bluish with yellowish seams between the plates.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabit lagoon and semi-sheltered seaward reefs. Juveniles often among Acropora corals (Ref. 9710). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Solitary (Ref. 5503). Juveniles expatriating to subtropical zone from the pelagic larval stage. Small juveniles secretive in narrow crevices (Ref. 48637). Feed primarily on algae with a compliment of microorganisms, invertebrates, mollusks, sponges (Ref. 5503), sand dwelling polychaetes, crustaceans, foraminiferans, and fishes (Ref. 37816).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Occurs in harems consisting of single males and 2-4 females (Ref. 37175).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Matsuura, Keiichi | Collaborators

Myers, R.F., 1991. Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p. (Ref. 1602)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)


CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Spawning aggregation
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development
Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance
BRUVS
References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Electrophoreses
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Nutrients
Mass conversion
Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins Misc.
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Download XML

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | DORIS | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 24.5 - 29, mean 28 °C (based on 2528 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5039   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.05370 (0.03269 - 0.08823), b=2.76 (2.61 - 2.91), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.4   ±0.48 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Fec assumed to be > 10,000).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low to moderate vulnerability (35 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   High.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 33.1 [14.1, 82.4] mg/100g; Iron = 0.564 [0.295, 1.271] mg/100g; Protein = 18.3 [16.1, 20.5] %; Omega3 = 0.129 [0.065, 0.249] g/100g; Selenium = 54.8 [27.5, 115.5] μg/100g; VitaminA = 40.7 [11.0, 155.1] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.908 [0.606, 1.357] mg/100g (wet weight);