
Longhorn cowfish
Lactoria cornuta
The angular body of the longhorn cowfish is armored with a bone plate under the scales and equipped with a strong skin poison that it needs for protection against other fish. It looks for its food - small invertebrates - by uncovering potential victims on the sea bottom using a water jet from the mouth.
Closest relatives | Pufferfish family, boxfish (37 species) |
Habitat | Algae and seaweed meadows, coral reefs |
Behaviour | Solitary, in pairs or one male with several females, territorial |
Diet | Invertebrates, algae and seaweed |
Body length | 30 cm |
Spawn | no brood care, eggs are carried away by the current |
Use | fishkeeping |
Current status | unknown |