Spotted Trunkfish

Members of this family are known as boxfishes because they have a hard outer covering consisting of hexagonal plate-like scales fused together into a solid, triangular or box-like carapace.

The eyes, snout, fins and tail protrude from this. The spotted trunkfish is basically white or yellowish with a regular pattern of numerous black spots on the body and tailfin. Just behind the eye, adult fish have a diagonal row of three white spots where black ones would have been expected. The snout is plain white, with no spines above the eye and a pair of sharp spines in front of the anal fin.

The spotted trunkfish is found in the Caribbean Sea, the southern half of the Gulf of Mexico, Ascension Island and the northeastern coast of South America as far east as Brazil. It prefers clear water and is usually associated with coral reefs with fissures, holes and overhangs, at depths down to about 30 m (100 ft).