Yellow Boxfish: Who Knew Cubes Could Be So Cute?

 

Habitat: reefs throughout the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean as well as the south eastern Atlantic Ocean
Status: No Conservation Concerns

Squee! This juvenile Yellow Boxfish (Ostracion cubicus) is just a little cube-shaped slice of cuteness. When fully grown, these guys reach lengths of 45 cm. Their coloration is completely different – older adults are somewhat of an icky olive green color with blue-ish spots which is nowhere near as fun as the younger, brighter version. Plus… they’re SO tiny! Can you even spot the little guy in the photo below?

Let me help you out – he’s right here:

This one is probably only about 4 cm long… that’s a standard baby yellow boxfish for ya. They feed mainly on algae but will go for some sponges, crustaceans and mollusks when in the mood. Oh, and here’s a fun fish fact for you: In 2006, Mercedes-Benz unveiled their Bionic concept car – which was inspired by the box fish’s cool shape.

A word of caution for those that wish to interact with a yellow boxfish: LiveAquaria lists the temperament of these fish as “semi-aggressive” so… ya…. watch out for these guys. They look deadly…? I don’t know, I mean what classifies a fish as being, say, friendly? Does it go right up to you and shake your hand? “Ay! G’day mate! Good to see ya!”

My imaginary fish are all Australian, go figure.

Be sure to watch this video, too, if you’re the kind of person who likes shy, tiny boxfish making eyes at the camera. Don’t all click play at once!