Yellow boxfish

Poisson-coffre jaune

Scientific name : Ostracion cubicum

Family : Ostraciidae (cowfish and boxfish, 25 species)
Size : Up to 45 cm
Distribution : Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to Polynesia

Biology : Young yellow boxfish have bright yellow skin with black spots, warning predators of their toxicity. This colour fades with age. They change sex during their lifetime, starting out as females and then turning into males.

IUCN status : Not assessed