第 1376 號，共 1 402 號

Yellow boxfish

Ostracion cubicum

名字的由來： The genus name Ostracion means "little box", and the species name cubicum means "cubic", both referring to its box-like body.1

無害對人無害。不用擔心。

其他有毒動物

皮膚裡有毒吃：每樣都來一點有毒（碰或吃會中毒），不是有毒液

對人的危險: 輕微跟蜜蜂螫差不多或更輕微。對人基本上無害。

The yellow boxfish is a box-shaped fish with a hard, rigid body and bright yellow skin with black spots. It lives on coral reefs across the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and east Africa to Hawaii and northern New Zealand. It is special because it can release a toxic mucus when stressed, which harms other fish nearby.1

有毒還是有毒液？有毒液的動物會用咬或螫把毒液注入身體。有毒的動物則是碰到或吃下去會有害。這種動物是有毒的（碰或吃會中毒）。

分布在

Indo-Pacific reefs, from the Red Sea and east Africa to Hawaii, Japan and northern New Zealand; occasionally the eastern Mediterranean1

太平洋, 印度洋, 紅海, 珊瑚海, 菲律賓海, 南海, 帝汶海與阿拉弗拉海, 孟加拉灣

首頁

It lives on sheltered coastal and offshore coral reefs and on flat seabed, at depths of 1 to 75 metres. It is also kept in the aquarium trade.1

長度

45 cm (1,5 ft)1

最高速度

大約 4 km/h（2,5 mph）

游泳, 粗略估計

牠吃什麼？

It eats mainly bottom-dwelling animals and marine algae. Its diet can also include worms, sponges, crustaceans, molluscs and small fish.1

Yellow boxfish 的照片 — Yellow boxfish。照片：Georgina Jones。 CC BY-SA 4.0, iNaturalist.

怎麼認出牠

Box-shaped body covered by a rigid, armoured shell called a carapace1
Young fish are bright yellow with black spots all over the body1
As it ages, the yellow fades and very old fish are blue-grey to black with faded yellow1
Usually found alone, as it is a solitary fish1

常被誤認為： The spotted boxfish (Ostracion meleagris) has the same box shape and spots. The yellow boxfish is mainly bright yellow with dark spots, while the spotted boxfish is darker with white spots.1

毒素力量

皮膚裡有毒

牠的皮膚有毒。碰、舔或吃牠都很危險。

牠的毒素有什麼作用？

When stressed, it secretes a toxic mucus containing a neurotoxin called ostracitoxin, which attacks the nerves. This toxin is highly harmful to marine fish: it breaks down their red blood cells, which then clump together. Nearby fish may be killed when they are exposed to it.1

牠對人有多危險？

對人的危險: 輕微跟蜜蜂螫差不多或更輕微。對人基本上無害。

牠害怕時會做什麼？

When threatened, it releases toxic mucus, and its bright yellow and black colours warn predators to stay away.1

如果有人碰了或吃了牠

如果有人吃了牠，或吃了之後出現症狀：立刻打緊急電話或打給毒物諮詢中心。

一定要先打緊急電話（112、000、911）。這是一般急救指引，不是醫療建議。急救基本知識

注意安全

絕對不要碰、抓或捉弄野生動物，就算是很小的動物，就算牠看起來在睡覺或已經死了也一樣。
給牠空間。如果遇到了，保持冷靜，慢慢往後退，讓牠自己離開。
如果你碰了或吃了牠：不要揉眼睛或摸嘴巴，把手洗乾淨，並且就醫。

牠不是想來抓你。牠的毒只是為了不讓別的動物吃掉牠。更多安全知識

在世界上的哪裡？

非洲亞洲歐洲北美洲南美洲澳洲與大洋洲太平洋印度洋紅海珊瑚海南海菲律賓海帝汶海與阿拉弗拉海孟加拉灣

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

跟 2,5 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長跟 14 塊玩具積木排成一排一樣長可以在 45 秒內游完一座大游泳池（50 公尺）

Yellow boxfish 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡做算術。什麼都不會儲存，也不會傳送到任何地方。

牠有多快？

一個正在游泳的人 大約 3 km/h (1,9 mph)

Yellow boxfish 大約 4 km/h (2,5 mph)

奧運游泳選手 大約 8 km/h (5 mph)

值得知道

小知識

Engineers have studied boxfish to inspire designs for a concept car, bridge box girders and an airship.1

The carapace was once thought to help stability, but it was found to slightly increase drag and make the fish less stable.1

The fish can make humming and clicking sounds using the muscles of its swim bladder.1

The toxic mucus contains a bacterium, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which may play a role in the fish's defence.1

Juvenile fish are brighter yellow than adults, and this bright colour is thought to deter predators early in life.1

Boxfish are strong, swift swimmers despite their stiff, box-shaped bodies.1

破解迷思

迷思： Boxfish are weak swimmers because of their boxy shape.

真相： Boxfish are surprisingly strong swimmers. Their shape creates swirling water patterns that help them steer through reefs and make sharp turns.1