OstraciidaeorOstraciontidaeis a family of squared,bony fishbelonging to the orderTetraodontiformes,closely related to thepufferfishesandfilefishes.Fish in the family are known variously asboxfishes,cofferfishes,cowfishesandtrunkfishes.It contains about 23 extantspeciesin 6 extantgenera.
| Ostraciidae Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| Yellow boxfishOstracion cubicus | |
Scientific classification
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Suborder: | Ostracioidea |
| Family: | Ostraciidae Rafinesque,1810 |
| Genera | |
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See text | |
Taxonomy
editOstraciidae was first proposed as a family in 1810 by the FrenchpolymathConstantine Samuel Rafinesque.[1]In the past this grouping was regarded as asubfamily,the Ostraciinae, along with the subfamily Aracaninae, of a wider Ostraciidae. However, recentphylogeneticstudies have concluded that the familiesAracanidaeand Ostraciidae are valid families but that they are part of the same clade, the suborderOstracioidei.[2]The 5th edition ofFishes of the Worldclassifies this clade as the suborder Ostracioidea within the order Tetraodontiformes.[3]
Etymology
editOstraciidae takes its name from itstype genus,Ostracion,a name which means "little box" and is an allusion to the shape of the body of itstype species,O. cubicus.[4]
Description
editOstraciidae boxfishes occur in a variety of different colors, and are notable for thehexagonalor "honeycomb" patterns on their skin. They swim in a rowing manner. Their hexagonal plate-like scales are fused together into a solid, triangular or box-likecarapace,from which the fins, tail, eyes and mouth protrude. Because of these heavy armoured scales, Ostraciidae are limited to slow movements, but few other fish are able to eat the adults. Ostraciid boxfish of the genusLactophrysalso secrete poisons from their skin into the surrounding water, further protecting them frompredation.[5]Although the adults are in general quite square in shape, young Ostraciidae are more rounded. The young often exhibit brighter colors than the adults. Thescrawled cowfish,Acanthostracion quadricornis,can grow up to 50 centimetres (20 in) in length, but is generally smaller at higher latitudes.[citation needed]
Range
editOstraciids occur in theAtlantic,Indian,andPacificoceans,[3]generally at middle latitudes, although the common orbuffalo trunkfish(Lactophrys trigonus) which lives mainly inFloridawaters may be found as far north asCape Cod.[citation needed]
Toxic defences
editThe various members of this family are able to secrete cationicsurfactantsthrough their skin which can act as a chemical defense mechanism.[6]An example of this ispahutoxin,a water-soluble, crystalline chemicaltoxinthat is contained in mucus secreted from the skin ofOstracion lentiginosusand other members of the trunkfish family when they are under stress.[7]Pahutoxin is acholine chlorideester of 3-acetoxypalmitic acid[8]that behaves similarly to steroidalsaponinsfound inechinoderms.[7]When this toxic mucus is released from the fish, it quickly dissolves in the environment and negatively affects any fish in the surrounding area. It is possible since this toxin resembles certain detergents so closely, that adding these detergents as pollutants to seawater has potential to interfere with receptor-mediated processes in marine life.[9]
Classification
edit
The author Keiichi Matsuura lists the following genera and species:[2]
Fossil taxa
edit- GenusEolactoriaTyler,1975
- Eolactoria sorbiniiTyler 1976(LutetianofMonte Bolca,EoceneItaly)
- GenusOligolactoriaTyler &Gregorova,1991
- Oligolactoria bubikiTyler & Gregorova, 1991(RupelianofMoravia,OligoceneCzech Republic)
Extant taxa
editThere are about 25 recognized extant species in six genera:[3][10]
- AcanthostracionBleeker,1865
- LactophrysSwainson,1839
- LactoriaD. S. Jordan&Fowler,1902
- OstracionLinnaeus,1758
- ParacanthostracionWhitley,1933
- TetrosomusSwainson, 1839
References
edit- ^Richard van der Laan; William N. Eschmeyer & Ronald Fricke (2014)."Family-group names of recent fishes".Zootaxa.3882(2): 1–230.doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1.PMID25543675.
- ^abMatsuura, K. (2014)."Taxonomy and systematics of tetraodontiform fishes: a review focusing primarily on progress in the period from 1980 to 2014".Ichthyological Research.62(1): 72–113.Bibcode:2015IchtR..62...72M.doi:10.1007/s10228-014-0444-5.
- ^abcNelson, J.S.;Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016).Fishes of the World(5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ:John Wiley & Sons.pp. 518–526.doi:10.1002/9781119174844.ISBN978-1-118-34233-6.LCCN2015037522.OCLC951899884.OL25909650M.
- ^Christopher Scharpf (21 August 2024)."Order TETRAODONTIFORMES: Families MOLIDAE, BALISTIDAE, MONACANTHIDAE, ARACANIDAE and OSTRACIIDAE".Christopher Scharpf.Retrieved2 October2024.
- ^Matsuura, K. & Tyler, J.C. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.).Encyclopedia of Fishes.San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 229–230.ISBN978-0-12-547665-2.
- ^Abdulhaqq, A.J. & Shier, W.T. (1991): Icthyocrinotoxins and their potential use as shark repellents.Journal of Toxicology-Toxin Reviews, 10 (3): 289–320.
- ^abBoylan, D.B. & Scheuer, P.J. (1967). "Pahutoxin: a fish poison".Science.155(3758): 52–56.Bibcode:1967Sci...155...52B.doi:10.1126/science.155.3758.52.PMID6015563.S2CID37688987.
- ^Pubchem."palmitic acid - C16H32O2 - PubChem".
- ^Kalmanzon, E.; Aknin-Herrman, R.; Rahamim, Y.; Carmeli, S.; Barenholz, Y.; Zlotkin, E. (2001). "Cooperative cocktail in a chemical defence mechanism of a trunkfish".Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters.6(4): 971–84.PMID11753441.
- ^Eschmeyer, William N.;Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.)."Genera in the family Ostraciidae".Catalog of Fishes.California Academy of Sciences.Retrieved2 October2024.
