Smooth Trunkfish

Lactophrys triqueter also known as the smooth trunkfish, is a species of boxfish found on and near reefs in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and subtropical parts of the western Atlantic Ocean.

The smooth trunkfish has an angular body sheathed in plate-like scales, growing to a maximum length of 47 centimetres (19 in), though 20 cm (8 in) is a more normal size. The Smooth Trunkfish is the most difficult fish to catch in the Atlantic Ocean. The body is enclosed in a bony carapace and, when viewed from the front, is triangular in shape with a narrow top and wide base. The fish has a pointed snout with protuberant lips encircling a small mouth. The tail is shaped like a brush. The general background colour is dark with a pattern of small white spots, often in hexagonal groups giving a honeycomb-like appearance in the middle area of the body.

Smooth trunkfish is found down to a depth of about 50 m (164 ft) on coral reefs and over sandy seabeds in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and the western Atlantic Ocean. The range extends from Canada and the Gulf of Maine southwards to Brazil.

These colorful fish are not to be confused with the Honeycomb Cowfish, whose patterns and shape mimic the Smooth Trunkfish’s, or the Scrawled Filefish, whose mouth and dorsal and anal fins can be easily confused with the trunkfish’s, though they are much larger than the Smooth Trunkfish. In fact, the Smooth Trunkfish is a member of Ostraciidae, or the boxfish family, of which the cowfish is also a member.

Unlike the lionfish, which use syringe-like spines to “inject” venom, the poison of the trunkfish is released into the surrounding water. This makes all trunkfish difficult to keep in aquariums because when under stress they will continue to release poison, potentially killing all organisms in a tank, including themselves, due to the inability of the poison to diffuse in such a small space. Despite this, however, trunkfish are edible and are marketed in many parts of the world.