Skip to main content

Look At The World's Squarest Fish

By
The Yellow Boxfish (Ostracion Cubicus) is a member of the Boxfish family and grows to no larger than 45cm. Divers can find these fish as deep as 40 metres, however they tend to spend most of their time in the shallower and warmer parts of the world’s oceans like the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and also parts of the south eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Boxfish tend to spend most of their days on the reef, their main diet is algae, small invertebrates, worms, crustaceans and sponges for example.
   
Using its puckered lips, it blows small bursts of water at the corals and sand to reveal anything that might be hiding.

The Yellow Boxfish is in fact, a yellow, box-shaped fish – who would have guessed it? It is a bright yellow colour with black spots, which helps them to survive by telling nearby predators that they are poisonous.

However, as they begin to mature, the number of spots decreases and the yellow blends into almost a dirty, mustard colour. It’s not just the colours that change either, their body also gets longer as they grow,  creating many layers of scales that act like a coat of armour.

Their body is solid and only has openings for the eyes, fins, mouth and tail. These quirky fish may look cute and innocent, but are in fact more like a swimming knife, packed with defensive gadgetry!

The most obvious of these is being a living tank. Not too many hunting predators would rush to eat a boxfish, which I can only assume is like biting down on a kneecap, which is a bad decision all round, wouldn’t you agree?

Yes, I would agree. They may look cute, but they are actually quite dangerous, and I think the moral of this article is don’t judge a book by its cover.


Labels:

Comments

  1. Max31 May 2020 at 08:57

    I love boxfish. They are my seventh favourite fish after pipefish, turbots, goblin sharks, conga eels, viperfish and sticklebacks.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Exploring The Great Pyramid Of Giza

By
The Great Pyramid of Giza (also known as the Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops) has many mysteries, all of which will be answered today. Egyptologists believe that the pyramid was built as a tomb over a 10- to 20-year period concluding around 2560 BC. The original entrance to the Great Pyramid is on the north, 17 metres (56 ft) vertically above ground level and 7.29 metres (23.9 ft) east of the center line of the pyramid. From this original entrance, there is a descending passage 0.96 metres (3.1 ft) high and 1.04 metres (3.4 ft) wide, which goes down at an angle of 26° 31’23” through the masonry of the pyramid and then into the bedrock beneath it. After 105.23 metres (345.2 ft), the passage becomes level and continues for an additional 8.84 metres (29.0 ft) to the lower chamber, which appears not to have been finished. The horizontal passage continues in the south wall of the lower chamber; there is also a pit dug in the floor of the chamber. Some Egyptologists suggest that th...
Post a Comment
Read more

All About Artificial Animals

By
When you look at a robot, you probably think of hard surfaces, wires, and knobs. But all that  changed when Fuso’s ElectroBird was put on sale on the 21st March 2020. It is used for reaching hard places in the jungle, or flying miles above the Antarctic to spy on penguins. However, as a bird isn’t the best animal on the planet, the ElectroBird needs help from Planex’s BeaverStructure. The BeaverStructure can help collapsing buildings, using a beaver’s architecural knowledge to guide its way. It can also save animals if they’re going to fall off a cliff, be swept down a water current and much more. Another amazing invention is Planex’s SnakeSlither, a machine that can squeeze into tight gaps and spy on anything. The new upgraded version of SnakeSlither, SnakeBio, can shoot weapons and lasers, handy for stopping criminals. Fuso’s OctoGrip can grasp any surface with ease, and also build machines in less than a day, saving time, strength, and work. Planex’s LeafNurse is good at treatin...
Post a Comment
Read more

David Attembourgh: Meet The Nature-Famous Man

By
Sir David Frederick Attenborough (born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster and natural historian. He is best known for writing and presenting, in association with the BBC Natural History Unit. Here are some interesting facts about him. Prepare to be amazed! He was raised on the campus of University College, Leicester, where his dad was the head teacher. Instead of saying he’s an animal lover, David says he’s fascinated by them.Interestingly, Attenbourgh has never owned a car because he never passed his driving test. He’s also not keen on sending emails, and prefers receiving letters by fax or post. During World War II his parents adopted two Jewish refugee girls from Europe. The only animals Dave doesn’t like are rats! Sir David was rejected from the first job he ever applied for at the BBC, the position of radio talk producer. In 1947 he spent two years serving in the Royal Navy. When Sir David got his first job in television, he didn’t even own a TV! His first programme, called Coe...
Post a Comment
Read more