Kingdom Animalia Family Aracanidae Genus Aracana Order Tetraodontiformes | Class Actinopterygii Phylum Chordata Rank Species | |
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Similar Aracana, Aracana ornata, Aracanidae, Anoplocapros lenticularis, Anoplocapros inermis | ||
Aracana aurita bij rifwachter hilversum
Aracana aurita (striped cowfish, Shaw's cowfish or Shaw's boxfish) is a species of boxfish native to the Eastern Indian Ocean. The species was first described by George Shaw in 1798. It is carnivorous and exposes prey in the benthic zone by blowing a jet of water onto sediment.
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Morphology
The striped cowfish is larger than its close cousin the ornate cowfish, with a maximum length of 20cm. The species is sexually dimorphic. Females and juveniles are pale orange to brown with irregular brown and white lines, while males bright orange with blue lines and spots.
The fish's body is encased in a rigid box-like carapace made of large bony plates. It has three curved spines on top, one on the mid side and three along the bottom.
References
Aracana aurita Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA