WoRMS taxon details
Acanthostracion quadricornis (Linnaeus, 1758)
158920 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:158920)
accepted
Species
Acanthostracion tricornis (Linnaeus, 1758) · unaccepted
Lactophrys quadricornis (Linnaeus, 1758) · unaccepted
Lactophrys tricornis (Linnaeus, 1758) · unaccepted
Ostracion quadricornis Linnaeus, 1758 · unaccepted
Ostracion tricornis Linnaeus, 1758 · unaccepted
marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
(of Ostracion quadricornis Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors 
[request]
[request]
Distribution Western Atlantic: Massachusetts (USA), Bermuda, and northern Gulf of Mexico to southeastern Brazil
Distribution Western Atlantic: Massachusetts (USA), Bermuda, and northern Gulf of Mexico to southeastern Brazil [details]
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2026). FishBase. Acanthostracion quadricornis (Linnaeus, 1758). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=158920 on 2026-08-15
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Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Nomenclature
original description
(of Ostracion quadricornis Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors [request]
original description (of Ostracion tricornis Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors [request]
basis of record Robins, C. R.; Ray, G. C.; Douglass, J.; Freund, R. (1986). A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. <em>Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston.</em> 1-354. [details]
[request]original description (of Ostracion tricornis Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors
[request]basis of record Robins, C. R.; Ray, G. C.; Douglass, J.; Freund, R. (1986). A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. <em>Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston.</em> 1-354. [details]
Ecology
ecology source
Looby, A.; Erbe, C.; Bravo, S.; Cox, K.; Davies, H. L.; Di Iorio, L.; Jézéquel, Y.; Juanes, F.; Martin, C. W.; Mooney, T. A.; Radford, C.; Reynolds, L. K.; Rice, A. N.; Riera, A.; Rountree, R.; Spriel, B.; Stanley, J.; Vela, S.; Parsons, M. J. G. (2023). Global inventory of species categorized by known underwater sonifery. <em>Scientific Data.</em> 10(1). (look up in IMIS), available online at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02745-4 [details] 
Other
context source (Bermuda)
Smith-Vaniz, W. F.; Collette, B. B.; Luckhurst, B. E (1999). Fishes of Bermuda: History, zoogeography, annotated checklist, and identification keys
(American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists - Special Publication No.4)
. ASIH, 424 pp. [details]
additional source McEachran, J. D. (2009). Fishes (Vertebrata: Pisces) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 1223–1316 in: Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas. [details]
additional source Froese, R. & D. Pauly (Editors). (2026). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. version (04/2025)., available online at https://www.fishbase.org [details]
additional source McEachran, J. D. (2009). Fishes (Vertebrata: Pisces) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 1223–1316 in: Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas. [details]
additional source Froese, R. & D. Pauly (Editors). (2026). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. version (04/2025)., available online at https://www.fishbase.org [details]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Unreviewed
Distribution Western Atlantic: Massachusetts (USA), Bermuda, and northern Gulf of Mexico to southeastern Brazil [details]
To Barcode of Life (74 barcodes)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (1 publication) (from synonym Acanthostracion tricornis (Linnaeus, 1758))
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (103 publications) (from synonym Ostracion quadricornis Linnaeus, 1758)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (14 publications)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (17 publications) (from synonym Lactophrys quadricornis (Linnaeus, 1758))
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (36 publications) (from synonym Ostracion tricornis Linnaeus, 1758)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (71 publications) (from synonym Lactophrys tricornis (Linnaeus, 1758))
To Digital Atlas Of Marine Species & Locations, DAMSL (Scrawled Cowfish (juvenile))
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Acanthostracion quadricornis)
To FishBase
To FishBase (from synonym Ostracion quadricornis Linnaeus, 1758)
To FishBase (from synonym Acanthostracion tricornis (Linnaeus, 1758))
To FishBase (from synonym Lactophrys tricornis (Linnaeus, 1758))
To FishBase (from synonym Lactophrys quadricornis (Linnaeus, 1758))
To FishBase (from synonym Ostracion tricornis Linnaeus, 1758)
To FishSounds
To GenBank (80 nucleotides; 77 proteins)
To GenBank (80 nucleotides; 77 proteins) (from synonym Lactophrys quadricornis (Linnaeus, 1758))
To GenBank (80 nucleotides; 77 proteins) (from synonym Ostracion quadricornis Linnaeus, 1758)
To Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI)
To IUCN Red List (Least Concern)
To ITIS
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (1 publication) (from synonym Acanthostracion tricornis (Linnaeus, 1758))
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (103 publications) (from synonym Ostracion quadricornis Linnaeus, 1758)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (14 publications)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (17 publications) (from synonym Lactophrys quadricornis (Linnaeus, 1758))
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (36 publications) (from synonym Ostracion tricornis Linnaeus, 1758)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (71 publications) (from synonym Lactophrys tricornis (Linnaeus, 1758))
To Digital Atlas Of Marine Species & Locations, DAMSL (Scrawled Cowfish (juvenile))
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Acanthostracion quadricornis)
To FishBase
To FishBase (from synonym Ostracion quadricornis Linnaeus, 1758)
To FishBase (from synonym Acanthostracion tricornis (Linnaeus, 1758))
To FishBase (from synonym Lactophrys tricornis (Linnaeus, 1758))
To FishBase (from synonym Lactophrys quadricornis (Linnaeus, 1758))
To FishBase (from synonym Ostracion tricornis Linnaeus, 1758)
To FishSounds
To GenBank (80 nucleotides; 77 proteins)
To GenBank (80 nucleotides; 77 proteins) (from synonym Lactophrys quadricornis (Linnaeus, 1758))
To GenBank (80 nucleotides; 77 proteins) (from synonym Ostracion quadricornis Linnaeus, 1758)
To Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI)
To IUCN Red List (Least Concern)
To ITIS
Unreviewed
Hosted externally
Image from synonym
