Longhorn Cowfish
Description
Its yellow to olive body has white or blue spots. It lacks gill cover and have hexagonal plate like scales, fused into a triangular shell from which the fins and tail protrude. It is an omnivorous fish, it feeds on benthic algae, sponges, worms, molluscs, crustaceans and small fish. Longhorn Cowfish are usually 10cm in length. When the longhorn cowfish is stressed it releases a deadly toxin. It is lack of a gill cover, which is replaced by a small slit or hoe. The unique method of swimming called ostraciform swimming, causes them to look as if they hovering. Longhorn Cowfish have no pelvic skeleton, so they lack pelvic fins. They are very slow swimmers. It has a very unusual bos shaped body with a proportionally large caudle fin. It weighs about 1 or 2 pounds. They are able to locate and feed on marine invertebrates by blowing jets of water into sand. Their lifespan is about 8 years. Their long horns may have evolved as an adaptation that makes the fish appear difficult to swallow for most predators. If their horns are damaged, they regrow them back within few months. Longhorn cowfishes are shy fishes, their mouths are subterminal and they have prominent lips. Both males and females display a yellow to olive based color. Which is decorated by white or bluish spots.
Classification
Scientific name - Lactoria cornuta
Order - Tetraodontiformes
Family - Ostraciidae
Kingdom - Animalia
Class - Actinopterygii
Phylum - Chordata
Genus - Lactoria
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Distribution
Longhorn cowfish can be found in lagoon reefs and offshore protected reefs. Where it is easy for them to find a cavity to hide themselves when they are in need of doing so. Normally they are found in depths ranging from 1 to 280m deep. They are mostly found in Atlantic coast of Africa, United States, southeast of Brazil, northern Gulf of Mexico, Canada, northern Japan, Peru, Hawaii, Chile, Red Sea , northern Australia, New Zealand and the Atlantic Ocean between Central America and South America.
They breed at the time that the ocean waters raise their temperature for spring. Their mating happen when a male courts one of the females of his herm, it shows its bright colors and climbs to the surface with her. When breeding takes place the eggs are released into the water. Eggs and larvae are pelagic. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae develop into small boxfish.
Population of the Longhorn Cowfish are unknown. They don't have many predators because they are hard to swallow. Albacore and big eye tuna are their main predators, some time even humans. See in their predator list we are also there, why are we doing such horrible things to these innocent creatures, take my advice and care about nature.
