Longhorn Cowfish “Lactoria cornuta”

Description

The Longhorn Cowfish also known as:: long-horns, longhorned, long-horned cowfishes,or trunkfishs, inhabit the reefs of the Indo-Pacific, usually in the less turbid waters. The body is tan to yellow and covered with white and blue dots, and is occasionally referred to as the Yellow Boxfish; however, the Longhorn is not to be confused with Ostracion cubicus, commonly called the Yellow or Polka Dot Boxfish.

They are easily identified by their rather comical appearance and two pairs of long horns, like those of a cow or bull, located on their heads and below their tails. Their horns are thought to have evolved because they make the fish hard to swallow for most predators. Their horns actually break off quite often but they regrow them within a few months.

Longhorn cowfishes are found in varying colors such as: green, light orange, yellow, and they are known to sometimes bear white or blue spots on their body and also display faint hexagonal or honeycombed patterns (due to their scales).