Buffalo Trunkfish

The silhouette of Lactophrys trigonus is short and deep, enclosed in a rigid bony carapace composed of fused hexagonal plates. This unique structure gives it a characteristic box shape. The coloration evolves with age: young individuals have a brownish background dotted with small diffuse white spots and adorned with two areas where the plates are bordered in black, forming chain-like patterns on the pectoral region and in the middle of the body. Larger specimens lose these light spots and chains to develop a dark and irregular reticulated pattern covering the entire carapace and caudal peduncle. The maximum observed size reaches 55 cm, with a recorded maximum weight of 3.3 kg, although the usual size is around 30 cm.

The behavior of Lactophrys trigonus is closely related to its rigid morphology. Unlike most fish that undulate to swim, this species uses its pectoral, dorsal, and anal fins to propel itself while keeping its body still. Its bony carapace plays a hydrodynamic role: it naturally generates buoyancy forces and controlled swirls along its ventro-lateral keels, allowing the fish to automatically correct pitch and yaw instabilities. This passive stability enables it to navigate with precision in the variable currents of its complex environment.

The species is active during the day, slowly sifting through the bottom in search of food. Its omnivorous diet is predominantly carnivorous, consisting of a wide variety of small benthic invertebrates such as mollusks, crustaceans, worms, sessile tunicates, and some seagrasses that it occasionally grazes on.

The Buffalo Trunkfish is oviparous. The eggs are pelagic and drift with the currents after spawning. Larvae develop in open water before metamorphosing and settling on the seafloor to adopt their characteristic benthic lifestyle. Specific data on seasonality or courtship rituals are not provided in the sources, but the species is known to form aggregations during reproduction in certain areas within its range.