Hovercraft Boxfish (Tetrosomus gibbosus)

The Hovercraft Boxfish or Tetrosomus gibbosus gets its name from the way it seems to hover when it is swimming.  This saltwater fish is just one of the many different species of Boxfish in the Ostraciiadae family.  Often kept as a pet, this aquarium fish is know for its odd behavior and weird shape.

Hovercraft Boxfish can grow to about 16" (400mm) in length and are found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.  They are considered to be peaceful tankmates as long as they aren't kept with their own kind.  This Boxfish can be fed a variety of foods including flake foods, frozen and live marine food.  This fish is sometimes known as the Humpback Turretfish and the Yellow Boxfish.  Check out the Hovercraft Boxfish underwater in the video below.


If you have any additional information about the Hovercraft Boxfish, including care tips please leave us a comment below.

Cubicus Boxfish (Ostracion cubicus)

The Cubicus Boxfish or Ostracion cubicus is one of the easiest saltwater fish to identify because there simply aren't very many fish in the world that are shaped like a box! Also known as the Polka Dot Boxfish or the Yellow Boxfish they can grow to about 1-1/2' in length. When they are young they have a yellow body with brown spots, but as they grow older the yellow will fade to a brownish coloration. You can check out the Cubicus Boxfish in its nature habitat in the video below...

Although Cubicus Boxfish are not considered to be very easy to keep in an aquarium some people have had success. The following water conditions in an aquarium of 125 gallons or more are acceptable, 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4 and sg 1.020-1.025. Most of the reason that people don't like to house these fish in an aquarium is that if they die or become stressed they release a poison called ostracitoxin out of its glands. This substance will sometimes kill the other fish in the tank! As you can imagine in the wild this makes for a serious deterrent. A potential predators will take a taste and then immediately spit out this poisonous fish. In the aquarium though, be sure to take out the dead Cubicus Boxfish as soon as possible and do a water change of at least 50%.
This fish is an omnivore that will eat brine shrimp or bloodworms along with mussels, clams and squid. One last thing to note is that you need an aquarium with a tight lid to keep this fish from jumping to its death.