Ostracion solorense, the reticulate boxfish, scribbled boxfish, Solor boxfish or striped boxfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. This species is found in the far eastern Indian Ocean and Western Pacific Ocean.

Ostracion solorense
Male
Female
Both from Anilao, Philippines
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Family: Ostraciidae
Genus: Ostracion
Species:
O. solorense
Binomial name
Ostracion solorense
Bleeker, 1853

Taxonomy

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Ostracion solorense was first formally described in 1853 by the Dutch physician, herpetologist and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker with its type locality given as Lawajong on Solor Island, Indonesia.[2] This species is classified in the genus Ostracion which the 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies within the family Ostraciidae in the suborder Ostracioidea within the order Tetraodontiformes.[3]

Etymology

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Ostracion solorense is classified in the genus Ostracion, this name means "little box" and is an allusion to the shape of the body of its type species, O. cubicum. The specific name, solorense means "of Solor", the type locality.[4]

Description

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Ostracion solorense has 9 soft rays in both the dorsal and anal fins.[5] The overall colour of the males varies from bluish-grey to blackish with thin light blue sinuous lines on the back, a wide dark stripe with paler wavy lines on the upper flank and white spots withnblack marginms along the flanks. The fenales have blacjk lines on the upper body, the sides are yellowish to greenish brown with a network of black lines. There is a characteristic bony protuberance above the upper lip.[6] This species has a maximum published total length of 12 cm (4.7 in).[5]

Distribution and habitat

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Ostracion solorense is found in the eastern Indian Ocean at Rowley Shoals and Christmas Island and in the Pacific as far east as Palau and Fiji. The reticulate boxfish is found at depths between 1 and 20 m (3 ft 3 in and 65 ft 7 in) on coastal reefs in clear waters.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Stiefel, K.M. & Williams, J.T. (2024). "Ostracion solorense". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2024: e.T193603A2246007. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  2. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Ostracion". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  3. ^ Nelson, 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. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6. LCCN 2015037522. OCLC 951899884. OL 25909650M.
  4. ^ Christopher Scharpf (21 August 2024). "Order TETRAODONTIFORMES: Families MOLIDAE, BALISTIDAE, MONACANTHIDAE, ARACANIDAE and OSTRACIIDAE". Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Ostracion Solorense". FishBase. June 2024 version.
  6. ^ Dianne J. Bray. "-Ostracion solorensis". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
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