The Spotted Boxfish (Ostracion meleagris) is a tropical fish species that belongs to the family Ostraciidae which consists of the ‘Boxfishes’. It is known to occur in the warm waters of the Indo-Pacific (including the tropical eastern Pacific) and has been recorded from East Africa, Mexico, Japan, Hawaiian Islands, New Caledonia and Australia. The juveniles and females are dark brown or green with numerous small white spots whilst the males are coloured predominantly blue with orange spots and bands on the side of the body. This species can be found on coral reefs from the reef shallows down to depths of at least 30 metres. It is known to feed on tunicates, polychaetes, sponges, molluscs, copepods, and algae. The Spotted Boxfish (Ostracion meleagris) grows to a maximum length of approximately 18cm.
The image of the Spotted Boxfish was taken by Sascha Schulz whilst freediving on the Great Barrier Reef.
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