Yellow boxfish are tropical fish closely related to pufferfish and filefish. The boxfish family, which also includes cofferfishes, cowfishes and trunkfishes, have a rigid carapace formed from scales that are fused together, which provides extra protection at the cost of mobility. Their sole method of propulsion is to rapidly oscillate their tail fin, because the inflexible body cannot generate a wave like other fish.Image It was once thought that the rigidity provided by their boxy frame also provided increased stability, but in fact the carapace increases drag, which reduces the boxfish’s stability. To compensate, it has a ridge on the carapace called a keel that provides extra stabilization and helps it prevent roll!

You can find this species in the Tropics gallery.