Fun Yellow Boxfish Facts For Kids

Have you ever seen a fish that looks angry? Of course, it's the yellow boxfish (Ostracion cubicus), and when stressed or angered, it produces toxins that protect the species from its predators. Juvenile yellow boxfish are bright yellow with large blue or black dots. However, when juvenile boxfish grow into adult boxfish, they will be very dusky, and the dots become negligible. Thus, the full-body color completely changes from bright yellow into greenish or brownish.

The yellow boxfish has some other names, such as yellow trunkfish (yellow-color, sheathing of octagonal plates with a stiff box-shaped), blue-spotted boxfish (bright yellow-colored with blue spots), white cubicus, Polka dot box-fish (the boxfish; polka dot in their body), cubed box-fish, or cube box-fish by considering their shape and color.

Inspired by the aerodynamically, self-stabilizing fins of the yellow boxfish, the German automotive company Mercedes-Benz publicly announced its bionic concept car for the first time in 2006.

Read on to learn more about the hilarious yellow boxfish, and if you like this article, check out blue dolphin cichlid facts and donkey fish facts.

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What type of animal is a yellow boxfish?

Yellow boxfish (Ostracion cubicus) are box-shaped fish with a vast black fleck and lemon-colored body, and it is one of the smaller specimens of the boxfish family. The polka dot boxfish (boxfish polka dot) can be found in the Red Sea, Indo-Pacific Ocean, and the Southeastern Atlantic Ocean.

What class of animal does a yellow boxfish belong to?

The yellow boxfish (Ostracion cubicus) belongs to the class Actinopterygii.

How many yellow boxfish are there in the world?

The population of yellow boxfish species is unknown. But it spreads across the coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific Ocean and New Guinea.

Where does a yellow boxfish live?

Yellow boxfish (Ostracion cubicus) live in the tropical marine area of the Red Sea to the eastern Pacific, north to the Philippine Islands, the central coast of Western Australia, New South Wales, French Polynesia, and east to Fiji.

What is a yellow boxfish's habitat?

An adult yellow-spotted boxfish inhabits deeper coastal slopes with a depth of 39.4-1574.8 in (1-40 m), coral reefs, tidal ponds, and long narrow depressions on a surface. In addition, a juvenile yellow boxfish is frequently found in tiny tidal aggregations.

Who do yellow boxfish live with?

The yellow boxfish (Ostracion cubicus) is a solitary fish and cannot live with other fish. However, during summer, for breeding, it creates small groups consisting of one male and two to four females.

How long does a yellow boxfish live?

The exact lifespan of yellow boxfish is unknown but is believed to be similar to the typical boxfish lifespan of four years.

How do they reproduce?

The yellow boxfish (Ostracion cubicus) has amazing reproduction facts, that it happens only in the time of summer or when the waters start to warm. However, during this spring season, the yellow boxfish can make a small group consisting of one male and two to four females, and then the male protects the females involved in the breeding. According to the research results, the males spend their time with females and show their interest in females by shining bright colors and dancing. Once breeding is done, females dive into shallow open water immediately, and then the females release the fertilized eggs. The females can lay many eggs every day for a month.

What is their conservation status?

The yellow boxfish belongs to the category of Not Evaluated in their conservation status.

What do yellow boxfish look like?

The yellow boxfish are also named yellow trunkfish, blue-spotted boxfish, and polka dot boxfish. An adult-size yellow boxfish has a dusky-colored, small-sized, spotty, box-shaped body. The juvenile looks brightly colored with black spots. In addition, the difference between males and females species of box-shaped fish is that the males have oversized brown or purple-colored bodies and dull-colored spots on them.

How cute are they?

The eccentric yellow boxfish look adorable and innocent. It has a carapace body frame to protect itself from predators as defensive gadgets and open its eyes, fins, mouth, and tail for only necessary things.

How do they communicate?

The yellow boxfish makes a humming sound and flashing to call and alert other mates to protect them from predators. The humming sound is up to 45 seconds, its hundred times of typical low amplitude pulses, and this sound is the primary way of communication in boxfish life.

How big is a yellow boxfish?

Typically the yellow boxfish size is the same as common boxfish. However, an adult-size Yellow boxfish can grow up to 17 in (45 cm) length in the wild, and the juvenile boxfish typically extends up to 3 in (7.62 cm) in length.

How fast can a yellow boxfish swim?

The speed and aptitude of yellow boxfish are affected by their interchanged evolution. They suspended their locomotion because of their protected rigid body. As a result, it has fiddly hesitation to use its fins and not knowing which direction it is supposed to move. The yellow boxfish body has a carapace shape to overcome this disadvantage, which has supported the swimming style, which is also known as Ostraciiform locomotion.

How much does a yellow boxfish weigh?

The weight of a yellow boxfish is not available.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no sex-specific names for yellow boxfish.

What would you call a baby yellow boxfish?

The baby of yellow boxfish is called a fry.

What do they eat?

The yellow boxfish is an omnivore. They feed on living species, small fishes like neon tetra, preserved brine shrimp, flake, tube worms, crustaceans, algae, and mollusks.

Are they poisonous?

Yes, they are poisonous to humans and other animals. When they find predators, they become stressed so they blow up their bodies to produce deadly toxins, called ostracitoxin, also known as pahutoxin, which will kill other fish in their surroundings.

Would they make a good pet?

We cannot make them a good pet because adults produce toxins when stressed that kill other fishes in the surrounding waters. It may not be suitable for reef tanks for the same reason.

Did you know...

The yellow boxfish is always kept in a tank, and the tank should be approximately 125 gallons (568.3 l) for adults. The aquarium size should be 55 gallons (250 l) for keeping juvenile species. Unfortunately, when juveniles are stressed or die, they can discharge toxins that will destroy all aquarium contents.

Is a boxfish a pufferfish?

The boxfish specimens are not exactly pufferfish, but they are closely related. However, pufferfish can use the ability to puff up in few seconds to produce toxins. In addition, the boxfish body has a salty sleeve chemical defense system to produce toxins when threatened in the surrounding water.

How much does a boxfish cost?

The cost of yellow boxfish varies with respect to its size. The cost of tiny ones (0.75 in/1.9 cm) is $34.99, small fish (0.75-1 in/ 1.9-2.54 cm) are $39.99, medium fish (1-2 in/ 2.54-5.08 cm) are $49.99, and large fish (over 2-3 in/ 5.08-7.62 cm) are $79.99.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish from our rainbow cichlid interesting facts or green sunfish fun facts for kids pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable yellow boxfish coloring pages.