Aracana aurita
| Striped cowfish | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Illustration from 1904's Kunstformen der Natur | |
 | |
| A specimen at the California Academy of Sciences | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | Aracanidae |
| Genus: | Aracana |
| Species: | A. aurita |
| Binomial name | |
| Aracana aurita G. Shaw (1798) | |
Aracana aurita (striped cowfish, Shaw's cowfish or Shaw's boxfish) is a species of boxfish native to the Eastern Indian Ocean. The species was first described by George Shaw in 1798.[1] It is carnivorous and exposes prey in the benthic zone by blowing a jet of water onto sediment.[2]
Morphology
The striped cowfish is larger than its close cousin the ornate cowfish, with a maximum length of 20cm.[3] The species is sexually dimorphic. Females and juveniles are pale orange to brown with irregular brown and white lines, while males bright orange with blue lines and spots.[2]
The fish's body is encased in a rigid box-like carapace made of large bony plates.[2] It has three curved spines on top, one on the mid side and three along the bottom.
References
- ↑ "Aracana aurita", FishBase
- 1 2 3 Bray, Dianne. "Shaw's Cowfish, Aracana aurita". Fishes of Australia. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
- ↑ "Aracana aurita", Encyclopedia of Life
External links
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Media related to Aracana aurita at Wikimedia Commons
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