Lactoria diaphana

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Lactoria diaphana, commonly called the roundbelly cowfish, is a small boxfish found in warm waters of the Indo-Pacific and along parts of the southeastern Atlantic near the Cape of Good Hope.

What it looks like
- Body: thick, rectangular shape protected by a hard carapace made of thick, hexagon-shaped plates
- Spines: a large spine above each eye and spines along the body
- Size: up to about 34 cm long
- Color: pale greenish-grey with a honeycomb pattern and brown blotches
- Fins: dorsal and anal fins toward the back, with a fan-shaped tail

Where it lives
- Habitat: coastal and outer reef waters down to 50 meters deep
- Juveniles: semi-transparent and live in open water near the surface

Special stuff to know
- Toxicity: like other boxfishes, it can release a soap-like toxin called pahutoxin from its skin when stressed, which can be dangerous to predators
- There has been a death in Japan from palytoxin poisoning after eating this fish

Classification at a glance
- Family: Ostraciidae (boxfishes)
- Genus: Lactoria
- Species: diaphana
- Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN)