Smooth trunkfish
Lactophrys triqueter the smooth trunkfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. The smooth trunkfish is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.
Taxonomy
The smooth trunkfish was first formally described as Ostracion triqueter in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae with its type locality given as "India", in error for the Western Atlantic. The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the genus Lactophrys within the family Ostraciidae in the suborder Ostracioidea within the order Tetraodontiformes.Etymology
The smooth trunkfish is a member of the genus Lactophrys, a name which is a compound of lactaria, meaning a "milkcow", and ophrys, meaning "eyebrow", a reference to the spines above the eyes resembling the horns of a cow. Some fishes in this family are known as cowfishes. The specific name, triqueter, means "three angled", a reference to this fish's triangular body when viewed head on.Description
The smooth trunkfish has an angular body sheathed in plate-like scales, growing to a maximum length of, though is a more normal size. The body is enclosed in a bony carapace and, when viewed from the front, is triangular in shape with a narrow top and wide base. The fish has a pointed snout with protuberant lips encircling a small mouth. The tail is shaped like a brush. The general background colour is dark with a pattern of small white spots, often in hexagonal groups giving a honeycomb-like appearance in the middle area of the body. The tip of the snout and the area round the pectoral fins are dark with few spots and the eyes are black. The fins are usually yellowish with a dark base and tips. They have only soft rays with no spines.The juveniles have dark coloured bodies covered in large yellow spots. As they get older, they develop a pale area where the honeycomb markings will later appear.