Care
Keeping Spotted Boxfish in the home aquarium is very risky. This is a species notorious for readily excreting the poison ostracitoxin when stressed - a deadly toxin which is capable of wiping out an entire tank. It is therefore best to house either a single specimen or one male-female pair. Never keep more than one male in the same tank as bickering and subsequent ostracitoxin release is very likely to occur. If tankmates are desired, they must be peaceful so as not to harass the boxfish; however, their continued safety will be precarious, hence why a species-only set up is highly recommended. In the wild, Spotted Boxfish inhabit clear lagoons and reefs. They are considered relatively poor swimmers and for this reason have developed protection via toxin release. The impressive teeth are used to scrape tunicates and sponges off of rocks, which form the bulk of the diet along with various algae, bivalves, snails, polychaete worms, molluscs etc. For this reason, these fish are not suited to reef tanks, although there should be some live rock in the tank to provide welcome shelters and grazing opportunities. A large open swimming space should be provided so that the boxfish are able to swim out and about during daylight hours when they are usually at their most active. Despite their less-than-nimble method of locomotion, Spotted Boxfish are capable of jumping from open topped tanks, so tight fitting coverslides are a must. Care must be taken when carrying out maintenance on the aquarium, so as to keep the fish as calm as possible. Ideally the tank will be situated where there is as little foot traffic going past as possible too. Lights should turn on and off very gradually via the use of a dimmer - sudden bright light can shock the boxfish into toxin release. All foods should be offered towards the bottom of the tank to avoid the boxfish drawing in air when trying to take food from the surface. Boxfish have very small mouths and stomachs and it is of extreme importance that they are fed small amounts throughout the day to prevent starvation (something which may not always be immediately apparent because of the rigid bony plates along the sides of the boxfish). On account of this feeding regime, highly efficient filtration and protein skimming is a must. This species is not suitable for beginners.
Feeding
An omnivorous species that should be offered small meaty frozen foods such as Mysis shrimp, Spirulina enriched brineshrimp, chopped prawns/krill/mussel/cockle/clam/squid etc as well as herbivore foods including marine algae. Floating foods are not recommended as the fish may ingest air. Feed small amounts several times per day.
Breeding
Unlikely to breed in the home aquarium.
