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Spotted Boxfish
Boxfish

Spotted Boxfish

Ostracion meleagris

A strongly sexually dimorphic reef boxfish — males are vivid blue with a black-capped back and orange spots, females and juveniles are jet black covered in white dots, so the sexes look like different species. Like every boxfish it is a slow, clumsy swimmer that releases a lethal skin toxin (ostracitoxin) when stressed, injured or dying, so it must be kept alone with only calm, non-nippy tankmates.

Temperament
Peaceful
Max size
9.8"
Min tank
180 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe with caution
Diet
Omnivore
Zone
Rockwork, Mid-water
Keep just one per tank — two will fight.
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Tankmates

How Spotted Boxfish gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Snowflake MoraySnowflake Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Spotted Boxfish.Zebra MorayZebra Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Spotted Boxfish.Chainlink MorayChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Spotted Boxfish.Clown TriggerfishClown Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Spotted Boxfish and may harass it.Panther GrouperPanther Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Spotted Boxfish and may harass it.Yellow BoxfishSpotted Boxfish and Yellow Boxfish are the same genus (Ostracion) and will fight — keep only one.Blue-Leg Hermit CrabSpotted Boxfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Blue-Leg Hermit Crab is on the menu.Trochus SnailSpotted Boxfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Trochus Snail is on the menu.Astrea SnailSpotted Boxfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Astrea Snail is on the menu.Cerith SnailSpotted Boxfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Cerith Snail is on the menu.Nassarius SnailSpotted Boxfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Nassarius Snail is on the menu.Nerite SnailSpotted Boxfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Nerite Snail is on the menu.Mexican Turbo SnailSpotted Boxfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Mexican Turbo Snail is on the menu.Bumble Bee SnailSpotted Boxfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Bumble Bee Snail is on the menu.Scarlet Reef Hermit CrabSpotted Boxfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab is on the menu.Zebra Hermit CrabSpotted Boxfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Zebra Hermit Crab is on the menu.Halloween Hermit CrabSpotted Boxfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Halloween Hermit Crab is on the menu.Emerald CrabSpotted Boxfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Emerald Crab is on the menu.Sally Lightfoot CrabSpotted Boxfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Sally Lightfoot Crab is on the menu.Skunk Cleaner ShrimpSpotted Boxfish hunts ornamental shrimp — your Skunk Cleaner Shrimp is on the menu.