Lactophrys triqueter
Smooth Trunkfish
Collection Details
Specimens
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Tetraodontiformes (Pufferfishes and Allies)
Ostraciidae (Boxfishes)
Lactophrys
Lactophrys triqueter (Smooth Trunkfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: short and / or deep. Carapace and caudal peduncle blackish with numerous small white spots; lips and bases of fins blackish; terminal edge of caudal fin narrowly white with a blackish submarginal band (Ref. 13442).
Distribution
Western Atlantic: Canada (Ref. 12204) and Massachusetts, USA to Brazil, including Bermuda, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
Habitat Associations
Marine. reef-associated. Found in: coral reefs.
Biology
Found on coral reefs (Ref. 12204). Solitary or in small groups (Ref. 9710). Feeds on a wide variety of small bottom invertebrates such as mollusks, crustaceans, worms, sessile tunicates and sponges exposed by a jet of water ejected through the mouth (Ref. 9710). Marketed fresh locally (Ref. 3696). Toxins released when excited kill other fishes (Ref. 5521). Easily approached (Ref. 9710).
Max length: 47.0 cm TL; common length: 20.0 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2011-06-07. Resilience: High (Fec assumed to be > 10,000).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Randall, J.E. (1967) Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr. Miami 5:665-847.
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Tyler, J.C. (1978) Ostraciidae. In W. Fischer (ed.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. West Atlantic (Fishing Area 31). Vol. 3. [pag. var.]. FAO, Rome.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Coad, B.W. (1995) Encyclopedia of Canadian fishes. Canadian Museum of Nature and Canadian Sportfishing Productions Inc. Singapore.
Randall, J.E. (1996) Caribbean reef fishes. Third Edition - revised and enlarged. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Hong Kong. 3nd ed. 368 p.
Patzner, R.A. (2008) Reproductive strategies of fish. pp. 311-350. In Rocha, M.J., A. Arukwe and B.G. Kapoor (eds). Fish reproduction: cytology, biology and ecology. Science Publisher, Inc. Oxford. 631 p.
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