Oct 20, 2009 – Long horned cowfish — Max Gibbs/Photolibrary

• If you think this fish looks weird…
  Wait ’til you see the others
• You might not guess that this innocent little fish exudes poison when threatened.
  It’s no pushover
• Where’s the best place to swim with colorful, crazy-looking sea creatures?
  Try here first
• What kinds of creatures live in the deeps of the Earth’s final frontier?
  Find out

The longhorn cowfish, Lactoria cornuta, is a variety of boxfish from the Ostraciidi family, recognisable by its long horns that protrude from the front of its head, rather like those of a cow or bull. They are a resident of the Indo-Pacific region and are usually around 10cm (4ins) long. Whilst badly suited to the home aquarium, the cowfish is becoming increasingly popular as a pet.

Adults are often solitary and territorial, live around sand or rubble bottom up to a depth of 50 m. They are omnivorous, feeding upon benthic algae, various microorganisms, and foraminiferans that it strains from sediments, sponges, polychaete worms from sand flats, mollusks, small crustaceans, and small fishes, able to feed on benthic invertebrates by blowing jets of water into the sandy substrate.