Lactophrys
Spotted trunkfish - Lactophrys bicaudalis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Family: Ostraciidae
Genus: Lactophrys
Swainson, 1839

Lactophrys is a genus of boxfishes native to the western Atlantic Ocean. All trunkfish of the genus Lactophrys, secretes a colorless toxin from glands on its skin when touched. The toxin is only dangerous when ingested, so there is no immediate harm to divers. Predators however, as large as nurse sharks, can die as a result of eating a trunkfish.[1]

Species

There are currently 3 recognized species in this genus:[2]

Image Scientific name Common Name Distribution
Lactophrys bicaudalis (Linnaeus, 1758) Spotted trunkfish Eastern Caribbean
Lactophrys trigonus (Linnaeus, 1758) Buffalo trunkfish Western Atlantic
Lactophrys triqueter (Linnaeus, 1758) Smooth trunkfish the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and subtropical parts of the western Atlantic Ocean.

References

  1. ^ Maurice Burton, Robert Burton. International Wildlife Encyclopedia. Marshall Cavendish, New York, 2002. ISBN 0-7614-7286-X; pp. 2758–2759
  2. ^ Matsuura, K. (2014): Taxonomy and systematics of tetraodontiform fishes: a review focusing primarily on progress in the period from 1980 to 2014. Ichthyological Research, 62 (1): 72-113.


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