Camel Cowfish - Tetrasomus gibbosus

Referred to by many names, including Helmet Cowfish, Thornback, Thornbacked Boxfish, Cowfish Helmet, and Hovercraft Boxfish, the Camel Cowfish requires the care of an experienced aquarist. The Camel Cowfish has a rather drab, pale tan body with random blotches of blue and occasional black dots. The eyes are large and blue.

The Camel Cowfish should have a minimum of an 70-gallon tank. Use caution if placing it in a reef tank as it will often nibble at tubeworms. When stressed, the Camel Cowfish releases a poisonous substance, called ostracitoxin, from its mucous glands which will kill other fish in the tank very quickly.

Very little success has been achieved in breeding this fish in an aquarium.

When introduced into a tank, the Camel Cowfish can be fed a diet of live brine shrimp or bloodworms. After acclimatization, chopped squid, clams, mussels, and herbivore preparations can be fed. This fish has the peculiar habit of coming to the surface and spitting when it is hungry.

Difficult to keep in capitivity. Unlike the Long Horned Cowfish, the Camel Cowfish is not as widely known with Aquarists as it is rarely imported in any large numbers making this fish a somewhat rare. Those who have aquired this fish though, love it for its adaptability and hardiness. Like its cousins, the Camel Cowfish should not be kept with aggressive or fast moving fishes. It is also suggested not to place this fish in a tank that houses any cleaner type fish, as they may injure the fish. The Camel Cowfish should not be kept with other Boxfish, as they can be territorial, as well. This fish can emit a toxin if it dies that may kill fish in your tank. Keep plenty of carbon on hand to use in case of death. Carbon filtration and large water changes should keep any disaster from happening.

Maximum Size: The Camel Cowfish Grow upto 4 inches in length.

Minimum Tank Size Suggested: The Camel Cowfish prefers a tank of over 70 gallons

TankConditions: 72-78°F; sg 1.020-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4

Habitat: Camel Cowfish occurs near Sri Lanka, Indo-West Pacific, Red Sea, and East Africa eastward through Indonesia to northern Australia, northward to southern Japan. Immigrated into the southeastern Mediterranean through the Suez Canal..

Natural Environment: Camel Cowfish are found throughout the world, and are most commonly associated with coral reefs. They can also be found near rocky areas, sand flats or grass beds.

Feeding and Diet: Feed a varied diet consisting of large chunks of meaty foods. These foods include krill, raw table shrimp, squid, clam and mussel. It is also a good idea to occasionally supplement with some type of herbivore diet containing marine algae.

Camel Cowfish will learn to swim near the surface and spit water as a form of begging at feeding time. This begging behavior, though cute and charming, should be discouraged as it may swallow air and cause buoyancy problems.

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