Boxfish
Ostraciidae
A hovering fish sealed inside natural box-shaped armor.
Boxfish wear a stiff shell of fused, many-sided scale plates around most of their bodies. Small fins flutter like propellers to steer the armored fish with surprising control.
Find this SeaPal in the card gallery
From field guide to game table
Bring this Boxfish home
See which ready-to-play decks feature this SeaPal. Try one in the simulator before you buy, or explore each full deck list.
- 1 copy
Ready-to-play deck
Stinging Fortress Deck
Includes 1 card featuring Boxfish.
Quick dive
Creature passport
- Home
- Warm coral reefs, rocky areas, seagrass, and sandy coastal bottoms worldwide.
- Favorite foods
- Small invertebrates, algae, sponges, and animals uncovered in sand.
- Size check
- Usually 4–18 in (10–46 cm), depending on species
Tell-your-friends facts
Four wonderfully wild things
- 1
Only the tail, fins, mouth, eyes, and gill areas move freely.
- 2
The armor is built from tightly joined hexagonal plates.
- 3
Some boxfish release a powerful defensive skin toxin when badly stressed.
- 4
Their small puckered mouths can blow jets of water at the sand.
Ocean superpower
Built to be amazing
A rigid bony carapace works like a lightweight underwater suit of armor.
Junior scientist tip
What should I look for?
Spot a stiff boxy body, tiny fluttering fins, and puckered lips.
Grown-up research links
We used trusted science organizations to check this profile.