Ostracion whitleyi

Fowler, 1931

Whitley’s Boxfish

Range: Central Pacific Ocean: Hawaii to the Marquesas Islands and central Polynesia.

Size: 6 inches (15 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow protected lagoons and seaward reefs and usually found at depths between 15 – 85 feet (5 – 25 m) where it feeds on algae, benthic invertebrates and small fishes.

General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade with the male dark blue with lighter blue spots on the back and irregular pale blue markings on the side, with the female tannish orange with white spots on the back and a white belly.

Best maintained in large fish-only aquariums having wide-open swimming areas and slow moving and very peaceful tankmates.

Requires a varied diet containing both meaty and vegetable matter, and should be fed several times daily.

Taxonomy:

Order: Tetraodontiformes

Suborder: Tetraodontoidei

Family: Ostraciidae

Genus: Ostracion

FYI: A slow moving fish, therefore, it should not be housed with fast moving and/or fin-nipping fishes.

Will eat snails, ornamental shrimp and possibly smaller fishes.

Do not offer floating foods, as this species may ingest air and cause buoyancy problems.

May consume cyanobacteria/slime algae and other types of macro and microalgae.

When excited or threatened can release a toxin (ostracitoxin) that may kill other fish.

Activated carbon will remove the toxin, however, it may be too late to save it or its tankmates once it happens.

Always remove a specimen if it's being picked on or in bad health.

Experience Level: Expert

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Omnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: No

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful, yet larger

Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 – 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5