Scrawled Cowfish

The Scrawled Cowfish is a large and distinctive member of the boxfish family, recognized by its angular, boxy body adorned with intricate blue scrawled lines and markings set against an olive to yellowish-tan background. Like its relative the Longhorn Cowfish, it bears two prominent horn-like spines above the eyes and two more near the base of the tail, giving it a distinctly bovine silhouette. Its body is encased in a rigid carapace of fused bony plates, and it propels itself through the water with a gentle, hovering motion using its small pectoral, dorsal, and anal fins.

Growing to an impressive 18 inches in length, the Scrawled Cowfish is one of the largest members of its family and requires a very spacious aquarium of at least 250 gallons. In the wild, it inhabits seagrass beds, coral reefs, and sandy areas throughout the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic, where it feeds on a variety of sessile invertebrates, sponges, tunicates, and algae. Its slow, methodical feeding style and deliberate swimming pace make it a poor competitor against faster-moving fish.

Like all boxfish, the Scrawled Cowfish carries the dangerous ability to release ostracitoxin when severely stressed, injured, or dying. This potent toxin can wipe out an entire aquarium's inhabitants within hours, making stress prevention the single most important aspect of keeping this species. A calm, stable environment with peaceful tankmates is essential. The aquarium should have gentle water flow, stable parameters, and no aggressive species that might harass this slow-moving fish. Despite these challenges, the Scrawled Cowfish develops a remarkably engaging personality in captivity, often recognizing its owner and begging for food at the water's surface.