Yellow Boxfish

The yellow boxfish (Ostracion cubicum) is a species of boxfish that can be found in reefs throughout the 🌊 Pacific Ocean, 🌊 Indian Ocean, and southeastern Atlantic Ocean. It has also been recorded occasionally in the Levantine waters of the Mediterranean Sea since 2011, most likely entering through the Suez Canal (🇪🇬 Egypt). This species is highly regarded in the aquarium trade.

O. cubicum can grow up to a maximum length of 45 centimeters (18 inches) and has a distinct box-like shape. Despite their armored and rigid bodies, boxfish are capable of efficient swimming due to their carapace shape, known as ostraciiform locomotion. Juvenile yellow boxfish are typically bright yellow, but the color fades as they age. Very old specimens may have a blue-grey to black coloration with faded yellow.

Although the yellow boxfish is commonly found in 🇮🇳 Indian coasts, previous records indicate that it has also been reported in the Lakshadweep Islands, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and the Chennai coast. Its diet mainly consists of marine algae, but it may also consume worms, sponges, crustaceans, molluscs, and small fish. When stressed or injured, the yellow boxfish releases the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin (TTX) from its skin, which can be lethal to fish in the surrounding waters. The bright yellow color and black spots of the yellow boxfish serve as a form of warning coloration (aposematism) to potential predators.

Yellow boxfish are solitary creatures, and breeding usually occurs during the spring in small groups consisting of one male and two to four females. In 2006, Mercedes-Benz unveiled its Bionic concept car, which drew inspiration from the shape of the yellow boxfish. It was previously believed that the boxfish's agility was due to its aerodynamic and self-stabilizing shape. However, recent analysis by scientists suggests that boxfish agility is a result of their aerodynamically unstable body combined with the way they use their fins for movement.