Honeycomb cowfish
Lactophrys polygonius
(Poey, 1876)
Description:
Body with a triangular, bony box of armor, with a honeycomb pattern on the outside. The hexagons are outlined by narrow dark lines, centers and areas between hexagons pale. Vary from shades of blue to green to yellow. Reticulated or scrawled design on the head. Mouth small and protrusible, tail broom-like. A sharp spine above each eye (L. polygonia).
Size up to 50 cm.
Habitat:
Occurs in clear water around coral reefs, down to 30 m. Feed on sponges, alcyonarians, tunicates and shrimp.
Distribution:
Occasional eastern Florida, Bahamas and Caribbean.
Remarks:
The related Scrawled cowfish (Lactophrys quadricornis) has a scrawled pattern of bluish markings over the body and a blue line from the snout to the anal fin. Like all cowfish, they have a sharp spine above each eye.
The Buffalo trunkfish (Lactophrys trigonus) lacks these spines, but has an obvious hump on the back and a long base of the tail.