Please don't come near! Don't be fooled by my "square-faced cute pet", my unique "defense" will surprise you!

Speaking of fish, I believe that the most classic image will immediately flash in everyone's mind - streamlined body, silvery scales, and agile swimming posture. However, the world is always magical. There is a kind of fish that has lost its streamlined body and scales, and instead wrapped its body in an extremely hard and angular "box", so there is the English name "boxfish". In my country, they are affectionately called "boxfish".

As a member of the "boxfish" family, the horned boxfish is a "square cute pet" in the ocean. It has a very unique, cute and likable appearance and is highly recognizable: its body is wrapped in a layer of hard bone plates, making its body look square, with only its eyes, mouth, fins and tail exposed, as if it had put itself in a safe; also because its body is restricted by the bone plates, the horned boxfish mainly relies on the rapid swinging of its short dorsal fin and anal fins to propel its body forward, just like paddling two pairs of small oars in the water. This unique swimming method makes their movements look somewhat funny and cute; what is more special is that on both sides of the front of its head, there is a sharp horn-like protrusion, as if this small box was equipped with a pair of unique "ox horns", which is why it is called "horned boxfish", and it is also affectionately called "ox horns" and "horned fish" by everyone. However, the horn box fish does not have horns when it is young. Its small body is round and bright yellow, like a sugar ball. It stares with big round eyes and pouts its round mouth all day long, looking quirky. As it grows up, its body becomes longer and longer, and horns grow in front and behind its head, especially a pair of long horns on the top of its head. All these make the horn box fish look very cute!

However, how can this small “cute square pet” use its own conditions to protect itself in the dangerous ocean environment?

First of all, it has a unique shape and color. The square shape of the horn boxfish is rare in marine life. This unique shape can confuse predators when identifying and catching it. In addition, the colors and patterns on the body of the horn boxfish are often very bright and eye-catching. This eye-catching color is often a warning signal in nature: other creatures "stay away", using this visual signal to deter potential enemies;

Secondly, it uses a hard exoskeleton: The hard bone plates of the horn boxfish are like an extremely strong armor. This armor can not only resist physical damage from the outside world, such as preventing being bitten by the sharp teeth of other creatures, but also reduce the impact of the water flow on the body to a certain extent. When encountering danger, this hard shell can prevent many predators from biting, greatly increasing the survival rate of the horn boxfish;

At the same time, the boxfish has a defensive skill - releasing toxins. The boxfish looks a little cute, but its internal organs contain highly toxic substances. When the boxfish is attacked or captured, it will quickly secrete a venom on its body surface in anger, poisoning the surrounding fish and making the creatures that attack it suffer. Therefore, although the boxfish moves slowly, there are not many natural enemies that dare to attack them.

Finally, they can use their environment to protect themselves. Horned boxfish are near-bottom-dwelling fish, usually living in coral reef areas, where the complex terrain provides them with excellent natural shelter. Coral reefs have an intricate structure, full of various caves, crevices and reefs. When they sense danger approaching, horn boxfish will quickly swim to these hidden corners and hide themselves in small spaces. Predators, due to their large size or lack of physical flexibility, find it difficult to enter these narrow areas to hunt horn boxfish, allowing horn boxfish to successfully avoid danger.

The horn boxfish is a shining pearl in the marine biodiversity. Their unique appearance, interesting habits and important ecological status are all worthy of our attention and protection. I hope that while appreciating the cute appearance of the horn boxfish, you can also enhance your awareness of protecting the marine environment and work together to create a safe and stable home for these beautiful marine creatures, so that they can continue to live freely in the blue ocean.

References:

[1]. Zhu Long. Found boxfish in the coastal waters of Penglai, Shandong Province[J]. Kehai Jishi. 1999.

[2].Xiao Xia. Boxfish have a unique way to defend themselves[J]. Little Copernicus: Wildlife, 2010(12).

[3]. Jiang Dongxu. The Death of the Boxfish[J]. Art Collection.

[4]. Nemo. A "cow" swam from the bottom of the sea[J]. Second Classroom: Primary School Edition, 2009(5):2.