spotted trunkfish
Lactophrys bicaudalis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Spotted trunkfish (Lactophrys bicaudalis)
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Open encyclopedia reference
The spotted trunkfish (Lactophrys bicaudalis) is a member of the family Ostraciidae. It lives in reefs throughout the Caribbean, as well as the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. It gets its name from the black spots on its whitish or yellow-golden body. In Caribbean countries, it is colloquially known as the boxfish, cow-fish or shellfish.
Wikipedia contributors, Spotted trunkfish; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:48:11.541525+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Lactophrys bicaudalis (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Name authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Common name
- spotted trunkfish
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Tetraodontiformes
- Family
- Ostraciidae
- Genus
- Lactophrys
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderTetraodontiformes
- suborderBalistoidei
- familyOstraciidae Rafinesque, 1810
- genusLactophrys Swainson, 1839
- speciesLactophrys bicaudalis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Lactophrys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| smooth trunkfishLactophrys triqueter (Linnaeus, 1758) | OstraciidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Lactyphrys bicaudalis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Linnaeus, 1758) | synonym |
| Ostracion bicaudale Linnaeus, 1758 Linnaeus, 1758 | synonym |
| Ostracion bicaudalis Linnaeus, 1758 Linnaeus, 1758 | synonym |
| Rhinesomus bicaudalis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Linnaeus, 1758) | synonym |
| Ostracium bicaudale Linnaeus, 1758 Linnaeus, 1758 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=275874 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3RSXJ. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.