''Tetrosomus gibbosus'', commonly called camel cowfish because of the hump on its dorsal keel, is one of 22 species in the boxfish family,

Ostraciidae Ostraciidae is a family of squared, bony fish belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes, closely related to the pufferfishes and filefishes. Fish in the family are known variously as boxfishes, cofferfishes, cowfishes and trunkfishes. It contai ...

. It is a ray finned fish. Other common names include helmet cowfish, humpback turretfish and thornbacked boxfish. It is most closely related to '' T. reipublicae'', the smallspine turretfish. ''T''. ''gibbosus'' is a species of

boxfish Ostraciidae is a family of squared, bony fish belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes, closely related to the pufferfishes and filefishes. Fish in the family are known variously as boxfishes, cofferfishes, cowfishes and trunkfishes. It contains ...

found in the wide

Indo-West Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

. It has been recorded since 1988 on rare occasions in the Levantine waters of the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

, likely following entry via the Suez Canal.Atlas of Exotic Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea (''Tetrosomus gibbosus''). 2nd Edition. 2021. 366p. CIESM Publishers, Paris, Monaco.https://ciesm.org/atlas/fishes_2nd_edition/Tetrosomus_gibbosus.pdf It is the first species from the family Ostraciidae to be found in the Mediterranean Sea. : : : This review cites this research. : : It carries some value in the

aquarium trade Fishkeeping is a popular hobby, practiced by aquarists, concerned with keeping fish in a home aquarium or garden pond. There is also a piscicultural fishkeeping industry, serving as a branch of agriculture. Origins of fishkeeping Fish have ...

, but is difficult to keep.

Description

Humpback Turretfish - Tetrosomus gibbosus 2

''T. gibbosus'' is normally around long when it is fully grown, but can reach up to in length. Fish in the genus ''

Tetrosomus ''Tetrosomus'' is a genus of boxfishes native to the Indian Ocean, Indian and western Pacific Oceans. Species There are currently four recognized species in this genus:Matsuura, K. (2014): Taxonomy and systematics of tetraodontiform fishes: a re ...

'' are characterized by the presence of a carapace, a hard upper shell formed by thick scale plates. The body is completely encased in this bony shell, except for a few small openings such as the mouth, eyes, and gills. The mouth is small with fleshy lips and conical teeth usually numbering less than 15.

Biology

''T. gibbosus'' has poisonous flesh, organs, and spines, and is known to secret poisonous mucus in defense or when it is disturbed. This poison can be fatal to humans or other marine organisms that come into contact with it. ''T. gibbosus'' is hermaphroditic; all individuals of this species are born female, but some may change into males as they grow. Juveniles live together in small schools, but individuals become solitary as they mature into adulthood. ''T. gibbosus'' is an omnivorous species, and its diet is known to include seaweeds, sponges, molluscs, worms, and crustaceans found on the bottom of its habitat.

Distribution and habitat

''T. gibbosus'' lives in shallow tropical waters or warm seas with muddy bottoms and can sometimes be seen near shallow

seagrass Seagrasses are the only flowering plants which grow in marine environments. There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and Cymodoceaceae), all in the orde ...

beds. It is also found in coral reefs. It is considered an endangered species in the South China Sea.

Lessepsian migration

Lessepsian migration The Lessepsian migration (also called Erythrean invasion) is the migration of marine species across the Suez Canal, usually from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and more rarely in the opposite direction. When the canal was completed in 18 ...

refers to the migration of a marine species from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, facilitated by the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. A species is considered Lessepsian when it has completed this migration and established a population. ''T. gibbosus'' was first found in the Mediterranean Sea in 1988. Both the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea have similar salinity levels and temperature ranges, which allows for an easier transition between of these bodies of water. It is thought that Lessepsian species migrated due to changing climates, since the geographic land barrier was removed when the Suez Canal was completed. ''T. gibbosus'' is now considered an invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea, as this is not included in its native distribution. It is also considered an established species because it has established a growing population and has been found in multiple locations. It is the first species from the family Ostraciidae to be found in the Mediterranean Sea. Due to its inability to swim long distances, ''T. gibbosus'' likely took multiple generations to migrate from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea; this is thought to have happened, in part, from northward currents moving eggs and larvae north towards the Mediterranean Sea.

References

External links

Humpback Turretfish
@ Fishes of Australia {{Taxonbar, from=Q690512 Ostraciidae Fish of the Indian Ocean Fish of the Red Sea Marine fauna of East Africa Marine fish of Southeast Asia Marine fish of Northern Australia Fish described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus