Acanthostracion polygonius

Ostraciidae
Honeycomb Cowfish, Honeycomb Cowfish
  • Acanthostracion polygonius, Bonaire, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
    Acanthostracion polygonius, Bonaire, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
  • Acanthostracion polygonius, Abrolhos, Bahia, Brazil, Photo: Graham Edgar
    Acanthostracion polygonius, Abrolhos, Bahia, Brazil, Photo: Graham Edgar
  • Acanthostracion polygonius, Turks & Caicos, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
    Acanthostracion polygonius, Turks & Caicos, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Distribution
Tropical Atlantic/Caribbean
Description
Box-like body shape with two horns above eyes and a body honeycomb pattern of black polygons over a tan background colouration. It is uncommon and shy. Usually found in clear water around coral reefs.
Information
  • Max Size: 50 cm
  • Sea Temperature Range: 23.6-30.4°C
  • Depth: 3-80m
  • Habitat: Coral Reef, Rocky Reef
Rarity
  • Threats: Exploitation
  • IUCN Threat Status: Not Evaluated
  • Occurrence: Frequent (20% of sites)
    Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
  • Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)
    Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Joe Shields
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