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

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 80 m (Ref. 26938) usually 10 - 30 m (Ref. 40849); subtropical; 43°N - 39°S100°W - 26°E.

Atlantic Ocean: in tropical and temperate waters (Ref. 3696). Western Atlantic: Massachusetts (USA), Bermuda, and northern Gulf of Mexico to southeastern Brazil. Reported from tip of South Africa.

Maturity: L_m 22.2, range 17 - ? cm
Max length: 55.0 cm TL male/unsexed (Ref. 6937); common length: 20.0 cm TL male/unsexed (Ref. 3696).

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 10. Dark markings on head and body; parallel bands on cheek. Pair of prominent spines projecting from in front of eyes suggests cow horns. Second pair of spines at lower rear corners of cuirass (Ref. 26938). Body deep, covered with hexagonal dermal plates (Ref. 37521).

Found in shallow water down to about 80 m, mainly in seagrass beds (Ref. 3696). Feeds on sessile invertebrates such as tunicates, gorgonians and anemones, as well as on slow-moving crustaceans, sponges (Ref. 3696), hermit crabs and marine plants (Ref. 13442). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Considered an excellent food fish; marketed fresh (Ref. 3696).

Smith, M.M. 1986 Ostraciidae. p. 890-893. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 3141)

  Least Concern (LC); date assessed: June 07 2011

Not Evaluated

Not Evaluated

  Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 30303)

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Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 22.3 - 28, mean 25.4 °C (based on 458 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5625 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.03981 (0.02306 - 0.06873), b=2.70 (2.54 - 2.86), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 2.7 ±0.2 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Fec = 112,536).

Fishing vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate vulnerability (42 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): High; Very questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this family.

Nutrients (Ref. 124155): Calcium = 22.3 [9.0, 63.2] mg/100g; Iron = 0.615 [0.308, 1.471] mg/100g; Protein = 18.8 [16.5, 21.0] %; Omega3 = 0.153 [0.077, 0.296] g/100g; Selenium = 24 [10, 55] μg/100g; VitaminA = 18.4 [4.2, 81.7] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.73 [0.46, 1.17] mg/100g (wet weight);