# Yellow Boxfish

*Ostracion cubicum*

Its boxy shape is so stable in turbulent water that it inspired Mercedes-Benz's 'Bionic' concept car design.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Actinopterygii › Tetraodontiformes › Ostraciidae › Ostracion
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** coral reef
- **Habitat:** Coral and rocky reefs, sheltered lagoons, and seaward reefs up to 280 meters deep.
- **Diet:** Omnivorous; feeds on algae, sponges, polychaete worms, mollusks, and small crustaceans.
- **Range:** Indo-Pacific, Red Sea, East Africa, Hawaiian Islands, Ryukyu Islands
- **Size:** Up to 45 cm in length
- **Lifespan:** 4 to 8 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat degradation of coral reefs, aquarium trade collection, and climate change affecting reef health.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless but defensive. Do not touch or stress the fish; it releases pahutoxin when threatened which can irritate human skin and is lethal to nearby aquatic life. Maintain a 2-meter distance. If contact occurs, wash skin thoroughly with soap and fresh water.

## About

The yellow boxfish ( Ostracion cubicus ) is a species of boxfish. It can be found in reefs throughout the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean as well as the south eastern Atlantic Ocean. It reaches a maximum length of 45 centimetres (18 in).

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/6d73031a-0a19-47f5-8cfa-28dbf49c6413
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/49378
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostracion cubicum
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/63905982/medium.jpg (Georgina Jones, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.