Volume 27, Plate XV / Ichthyology (Fish)

Spotted Ostracion

Ostracion cubicus

A not uncommon fish of the Indian seas, sometimes reaching a foot in length, whose remarkably hard covering is composed of numerous compartments joined with mathematical-like precision in hexagonal plates, discontinued at the tail to allow voluntary action. In the Isle of France it is esteemed for its flesh and kept in artificial ponds, where it becomes tame and familiar.