Scientific Name
Lactoria cornuta

Common Name
Longhorn cowfish

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-9; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. Cryptic coloring ranges from green and olive to orange with blue spots (Ref. 3141). Caudal fin rays 9-10 (Ref. 1602).

Classification

Classified By

Linnaeus, 1758

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Puffers and Filefishes (Tetraodontiformes)

Family

Boxfishes (Ostraciidae)

Distribution

Region

Indo-Pacific

Distribution

Indo-Pacific: Red Sea (Ref. 12541) and East Africa (Ref. 12484) to the Marquesan and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe Island (Ref. 9710).

Range

42°N - 35°S, 18°E - 123°W

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

18 m

Depth To - meters

100 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 18 - 100 m (Ref. 9661)

Trophic Level

3.5 s.e. 0.37 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

46.0 cm

Common Length

40.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5625 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (24 of 100)

Resilience

High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Fec assumed to be > 10,000)

Threat To Humans

Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 4690)

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated