Spiny Box fish 411 



The Southern Swellfish is a tropical Atlantic species com- 

 mon north to Florida. It is a rare straggler from Cape 

 Hatteras north to Cape Cod. The maximum size is about 

 one foot. 



Spiny Boxfish 

 Chilomycterus schoepfi (Walbaum) 



Color: Ground, yellow-green to olive above; belly white 

 heavily tinted with yellow or orange. Upper part of body 

 has dark brown or black irregular longitudinal stripes 

 somewhat parallel to one another. A dark irregular patch 

 on each side of the base of the dorsal fin; a smaller one 

 between the bases of the dorsal and anal fins; a dark patch 

 at the base of the pectoral fin and another behind the 

 pectoral fin. 



Distribution: Occurs from Florida to Cape Cod and as a 

 rare stray in the Gulf of Maine. It is most abundant south 

 of Cape Hatteras. 



Size: Maximum length about 10 inches. 

 General Information: Both young and adults are not un- 

 common inshore from Cape Hatteras to New York. The 

 main foods of the Spiny Boxfish are small crustaceans 

 and shellfish. 



Economic Importance: None. This is an interesting and 

 colorful species in the home marine aquarium. 



