Acanthostracion quadricornis, Scrawled cowfish: fisheries, aquarium

Acanthostracion quadricornis

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Acanthostracion quadricornis
Scrawled cowfish

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Acanthostracion quadricornis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Family:

Ostraciidae (Boxfishes)

picture (Acqua_u0.jpg) by Randall, J.E.

Image for Acanthostracion quadricornis, Ostraciidae, Scrawled cowfish.

AquaMaps for Acanthostracion quadricornis

Point map |

Order:

Tetraodontiformes (puffers and filefishes)

Class:

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)

FishBase name:

Scrawled cowfish

Max. size:

55.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 6937)

Environment:

reef-associated; marine; depth range ? – 80 m

Climate:

subtropical; 43°N - 24°S

Importance:

fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial; price category: high; price reliability: very questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this family

Resilience:

High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months(Fec = 112,536)

Vulnerability:

Moderate vulnerability (42.00). (Ref. 59153)

Distribution:
Gazetteer

Atlantic Ocean: in tropical and temperate waters (Ref. 3696). Western Atlantic: Massachusetts (USA), Bermuda, and northern Gulf of Mexico to southeastern Brazil. Reported from tip of South Africa.

Morphology:

Dorsal spines (total): 0 - 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 10; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 10. Dark markings on head and body; parallel bands on cheek. Pair of prominent spines projecting from in front of eyes suggests cow horns. Second pair of spines at lower rear corners of cuirass (Ref. 26938). Body deep, covered with hexagonal dermal plates (Ref. 37521).

Biology:

Found in shallow water down to about 80 m, mainly in seagrass beds (Ref. 3696). Feeds on sessile invertebrates such as tunicates, gorgonians and anemones, as well as on slow-moving crustaceans, sponges (Ref. 3696), hermit crabs and marine plants (Ref. 13442). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Considered an excellent food fish; marketed fresh (Ref. 3696).

Red List Status:

Not Evaluated (Ref. 57073)

Dangerous:

reports of ciguatera poisoning , Olsen, D.A., D.W. Nellis and R.S. Wood. 1984

Coordinator:

Matsuura, Keiichi

Main Ref:

Smith, M.M.. 1986. (Ref. 3141)

More information:

Countries

FAO areas

Occurrences

Introductions

Ecosystems

Ecology

Diet

Food items

Food consumption

Ration

Predators

Ciguatera

Common names

Synonyms

Pictures

Sounds

Reproduction

Maturity

Spawning

Eggs

Egg dev.

Larvae

Larval dynamics

Biblio

Otoliths

References

Growth

L-W relationship

L-L relationship

Length frequencies

Recruitment

Max. age & size

Metabolism

Morphology

Morphometrics

Gill area

Brains

Vision

Collaborators

Genetics

Allele frequencies

Heritability

Strains

Aquaculture

Aquaculture profile

Diseases

Ecotoxicology

Processing

Speed

Swim. type

Stamps

Note: No data available if label is black; please send relevant papers to: FishBase, MC P.O. Box 2631, 0718 Makati, Philippines, or attach files to 'Comments & Corrections' email below .

Tools:

Internet sources:

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Modified:
Bailly, Nicolas

Entered:
Luna, Susan M.

Thessaloniki, Greece

	Ref.:		Glossary
		( e.g. 9948 )		( e.g. cephalopods )
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