Striped Boxfish (female)

Ostracion solorensis is a species of boxfish native to the western Pacific Ocean. It grows to 12 centimeters in length. It is sometimes kept as an aquarium fish.

Description

Males are bluish-grey to blackish with fine pale blue wavy lines on the back, a broad dark stripe with pale wavy lines along upper side and black-edged white spots on sides. Females have fine black lines on the back, the sides yellowish-brown to greenish-brown with broad black reticulations. Striped Boxfish have a characteristic bony protuberance above the upper lip. Under stress, boxfish produce poisonous secretions from their skin.

Distribution

Western Pacific: Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean and Indonesia to Fiji, north to the Philippines. Recently recorded from Tonga and the northern northern Great Barrier Reef.

Habitat

Inhabits clear coastal reefs in rich invertebrate habitat on shallow crests or upper zone of slopes to about 15 meters depth. Solitary or in pairs. Relatively uncommon inhabitant of coral rich areas of seaward reefs. Sexually dimorphic.