#Cube boxfish

[vestaignis]

Кузовок-кубик Ostracion cubicus.

Обитает в водах Тихого и Индийского океанов в районах рифов, а также в Атлантическом океане у юго-западного побережья Африки.Продолжительность жизни в среднем составляет до 6 лет.

Это достаточно крупная рыба, максимальная длина тела до 45 см. Основной отличительной характеристикой данного вида рыб является кубическая форма его тела. Молодые представители отряда иглобрюхообразных имеют длину до 4 см и яркий желтый оттенок с редким вкраплением контрастных тёмных пятнышек. С течением времени тело рыбки может терять свою необычную форму, вытягиваясь, и приобретать грязно-коричневый оттенок, при этом серединка посветлевших пятен становится голубой. Тело кубика защищено костными пластинами, образующие достаточно крепкий панцирь. Благодаря подобному строению рыба способна отлично защищаться от хищников. Кроме того, кубики при ранении или тревоге могут выделять через кожу токсичную слизь, вырабатываемую в кишечнике и накапливающуюся в печени. Она способна убивать ��юбую оказавшуюся поблизости рыбу. При этом, у кузовок-кубиков нет колючих игл, а лучи плавничков - мягкие. Грудными плавниками эти рыбки прогоняют воду через жабры, а не только используют их для плавания.

Обитают в защищенных лагунах и рифах. Ведут бентопелагический образ жизни. Молодняк часто встречается среди жестких кораллов Акропора. Обычная глубина обитания до 50 м. Максимальная зарегистрированная глубина обитания составила 280 м. Кузовки-кубики очень пугливы и при опасности прячутся в гуще кораллов. Встречаются поодиночке. Питается водорослями, различными беспозвоночными, моллюсками, губками. В период размножения у кузовков существуют брачные игры: самец кружится вокруг самки и затем они подымаются высоко над рифом, иногда даже к поверхности воды.

Cube fish Ostracion cubicus.

It lives in the waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans in reef areas, as well as in the Atlantic Ocean off the southwest coast of Africa. Life expectancy is on average up to 6 years.

This is a fairly large fish, the maximum body length is up to 45 cm. The main distinguishing characteristic of this fish species is the cubic shape of its body. Young representatives of the pufferfish order have a length of up to 4 cm and a bright yellow hue with rare interspersed contrasting dark spots. Over time, the body of the fish can lose its unusual shape, stretching out, and acquire a dirty brown hue, while the middle of the lightened spots becomes blue. The body of the cube is protected by bone plates, forming a fairly strong shell. Thanks to this structure, the fish is able to defend itself from predators. In addition, when injured or alarmed, cubes can secrete toxic mucus through the skin, which is produced in the intestines and accumulates in the liver. It is capable of killing any fish that is nearby. At the same time, cube boxfish do not have prickly needles, and the rays of the fins are soft. These fish use their pectoral fins to push water through their gills, and not only use them for swimming.

They live in protected lagoons and reefs. They lead a benthopelagic lifestyle. Juveniles are often found among hard Acropora corals. The usual habitat depth is up to 50 m. The maximum recorded habitat depth was 280 m. Cube boxfish are very timid and hide in the thick of corals when in danger. They are found alone. They feed on algae, various invertebrates, mollusks, and sponges. During the breeding season, boxfish have mating games: the male circles around the female and then they rise high above the reef, sometimes even to the surface of the water.

Источник: //www.egypt-divers.ru/redsea-fauna/ryiba-kuzovok, /dzen.ru/a/Y2Nw1mZlZVQOmx-Z,/ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Кузовок-кубик#:~:text=Кузовок-кубик%20(лат.,у%20юго-западного %20 побережья%20Африки.,/ru.pinterest.com/pin/141159769543881080/, multiurok.ru/blog/morskaia-ryba-kuzovok-kubik.html,/aquarium-style.ru/morskaya-akvariumistika/morskie-ryby/skorpenoobraznye-kambaloobraznye-skalozuboobraznye-udilshchikoobraznye /item / body-cube.html,/animals.pibig.info/12145-ryba-kuzovok-kubik.html.

[bethanythebogwitch]

When they say "be there or be square", today's Wet Beast Wednesday subject chose "square". I am referring to boxfish. Also known as cowfish, trunkfish, and cofferfish, these real-life Minecraft fish are bony fish in the family Ostraciidae, sometimes called Ostraciontidae. This makes them close relatives of pufferfish and file fish in the order Tetraodontiformes. While all the Tetraodontiformes are weird-looking fish, the cowfish are easily the strangest, they don't even really look that much like fish.

(image: the yellow boxfish Ostracion cubicum. They literally named it "cube")

The squarish shape of the boxfish comes from their unique skeleton. They have a carapace made of overlapping, hexagonal plates called dermal scutes that are the equivalent of scales in other fish. Each plate is composed of a soft and bendable collagen layer and mineralized surface layer. This carapace is very sturdy, with holes in it to allow for the eyes, mouth, fins, and cloaca to pass through. In game terminology, the cowfishes are stone walls. Because of the composition of the carapace, boxfish are fully rigid and cannot bend their bodies in any direction. This, combined with their not-overly hydrodynamic shapes, makes them slow and weak swimmers. When they filled out their character sheets they went all-in on defense and neglected speed and offense. A boxfish won't be winning any races, but the carapace is extremely hard to bite through or puncture, giving an effective defense. Despite their small sizes (the largest species can get up to 50 cm/20 in long, and most species are much smaller), adult boxfish have almost no natural predators. It's worth noting that while boxfish are slow swimmers, they are very maneuverable. They have the ability to create small vortices around their bodies to help maneuver.

(image: a boxfish skeleton)

(image: a boxfish with its hexagonal carapace visible through its skin)

Not satisfied with having an impenetrable shell, many species of boxfish developed another defense mechanism. When stressed, they can release poison into the water. These poisons are surfactants, substances that break up surface tension, that can damage the cell membranes of other animals. While each species has their own specific chemical and not every species is poisonous, these toxins are collectively called pahutoxins. Poison is a pretty common thing in the Tetraodontiformes. Famously, pufferfish, close relatives of boxfish, are highly poisonous. Most poisonous boxfish species are brightly colored. This is called aposematism and is used as a warning to potential predators that the animal is dangerous. A famous example of aposematism is the brightly-colored poison dart frogs. Young boxfish are typically more colorful than older ones.

(image: a longhorn cowfish Lactoria cornuta)

Boxfish are voracious omnivores that will eat just about anything that can fit in their tiny mouths. The majority of boxfish species live in coral reefs and their diet consists largely of algae that they scrape off of coral. Additional foods include sponges, tube worms, mollusks, and small fish and invertebrates. Some species can spit out water to blow aside sand and search for buried food.

(image: Ostracion meleagris, the spotted boxfish)

Boxfish are typically solitary, but occasionally come together in small groups. These groups typically consist of one male and a few females. Scientists speculate these groups are formed for reproduction. They are known to reproduce by swimming to the surface of the water, releasing their gametes, and quickly swimming away.

(Aracana ornata, the ornate boxfish)

Because of their unique appearances, boxfish are popular in aquariums. They are recommended for experts only because of their ability to release poison. Boxfish are easily stressed and can kill themselves and other tank-mates by releasing toxin. Aquarists usually say they should be kept in solo tanks or with smaller, mild-mannered tank-mates. In addition, they need to be in tanks with minimal water flow as even the current of a decently-sized filter can blow them around uncontrollably. People who keep boxfish have called them shy, but highly inquisitive and even playful. They have been reported spitting water and their handlers, apparently in an attempt to get attention.

(image: Lactoria forasini, the thornback boxfish)

[draw-me-some-stories]

Wiffle fish…

[marinebiologyshitposts]

I would love to know how square a critter can get. Real cube-ular fellas.

i have good news about an entire genre of animal called boxfish

[gini-dive]

Yellow-brown boxfish, common boxfish, yellow boxfish (D), yellow boxfish, cube trunkfish (UK)

Occurrence: Southeast Asia

Size: up to 50 cm

Lactoria, Ostracion, Rhynchostracion, Tetrosomus

The boxfish has protective armor

[bunjywunjy]

it's hip to be square

please allow me to introduce you to everyone’s favorite Rubik’s cube of the sea, the Yellow Boxfish. they’re, uh.

 well. see for yourself.

a vision of geometric perfection and kissy lips

yeah.

despite looking like an ocean-borne Bethesda glitch, the Yellow Boxfish is a real animal with hopes and dreams just like yours.

well, maybe slightly more angular

found in warm water reefs worldwide, (say that five times fast) Yellow Boxfish start life tiny and bright yellow, eventually fading in color as they reach their adult length of about 18 inches. they live mostly off algea and the bitter tears of mathematicians. (just wait until they discover the Hypercube Boxfish)

your frustration sustains me!

we STILL don’t know how they work- being a literal cube seems to make them incredibly agile swimmers, but we’re not sure why. maybe the ocean is just really into right angles?

nature just loves rectangles I guess

also just in case they weren’t weird enough, they also have a bad habit of squirting a deadly poison everywhere whenever they get startled, like an excitable toxin grenade

PANIC! PANIC! RELEASE THE TOXINS

while it is an efficient way to murder the shit out of every other fish in the general vicinity, this toxin has zero effect on humans. unless you were to attempt to eat the Boxfish, so don’t do that.

you probably couldn’t anyway, this is what a Boxfish skeleton looks like

Yellow Boxfish are popular pets and are kept by many aquarists. your local fish store may have one right now, go say hello! but gently, lest you accidentally startle this weird dumb square toxic grenade of the sea.

[tangledwing]

A cube boxfish fish ( Ostracion cubicus) swims near coral. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters.

[staarbits]

I guess since I don’t have a centerpiece fish anymore I cooooould maybeee go boxfish or toby but I know that’s the stupidest decision ever that I could possibly make but like . mgrrrrrr cube . probably will just get another sailfin tang but if purple tangs weren’t so expensive I would get one but I can’t afford it :| I think we might just get the same fish again tbh except a different hawkfish species bc the one we had was lowkey mad ugly but the others were cool,,, oughhhh sorry lots of fishpost rambling today . someone remind me to get an airstone when I go to AW

[xvinushka]

@wekeepthislcveinaphotograph​ liked for a starter !

Party over, guests gone, but of course there was the whole bonding and celebrating things with only RFA members. Irving was glad to do it, only the whole thing had obviously tired him out and no social filter remained despite a want to connect with everyone. So he talked about the one subject that was easy -- too easy sometimes. 

" --- Have you ever seen boxfishes ? They look like cubes. With eyes and fins. They’re really cute !”

[palawan-divers-blog]

Cute little swimming cubes! The juvenile yellow boxfish. ☀️🌴 #elnido #palawan #philippines #fun #diving #facts #underwaterphotography #yellow #box #amazing #incredible #nature (at Palawan Divers - El Nido)