Aracana aurita
| Striped Cowfish | |
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| Illustration from 1904's Kunstformen der Natur | |
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| A specimen at the California Academy of Sciences | |
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| Genus: | Aracana
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| Species: | A. aurita
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| Binomial name | |
| Aracana aurita G. Shaw (1798)
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The Striped Cowfish ('Aracana aurita) is a species of boxfish native to the Eastern Indian Ocean. Also known as Shaw's cowfish, the species was first described by George Shaw in 1798.[1] The Striped Cowfish is visibly larger than its close cousin the Ornate Cowfish, with a maximum length of 20cm.[2] The species is sexually dimorphic. Females are plainer, with orange-brown stripes, while males are covered in blue lines and spots. Like other members of the family Ostraciidae, these fish are rarely kept as pets or by less then expert aquarium hobbyists, as stress can cause them to release ostracitoxin from their skin, easily killing other fish in a tank.
References
External links
Media related to Aracana aurita at Wikimedia Commons
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