The Trunk- Fishes 



and plant forms. All 4 of the species occur among the West 

 Indies. They are known variously as trunk-fish, chapin, rock shell- 



Chapin, Ostracion triqueter 



fish, plate-fish, cow-fish, and the like. O. triqueter is found north 

 to Pensacola, Key West and Bermuda, and is generally abundant. 

 O. bicaudalis is a large species, reaching 16 inches in length, and is 

 common among the West Indies, but has not yet been recorded 

 from Florida. O. trigonus is the common trunk-fish, very abundant 



Common Trunk-fish, Ostracion trigonus 



among the West Indies, and extending its range to Woods Hole and 

 Chesapeake Bay. O. tricornis is the common cowfish. Its range 

 extends from Brazil to Charleston, Pensacola, the Chesapeake and, 

 in the Gulf Stream, to Woods Hole. It is even found also on 



490 



