Longhorn Cowfish

Lactoria Cornuta

Care Level: Moderate

Temperament: Semi-aggressive

Reef Compatible: With Caution

Diet: Carnivore

Max. Size: 50cm

Origin: Indo Pacific

Lactoria Cowfish should be added first to large aquariums with ample open swim room as they are slow swimmers and become quite large. Provide rocky areas and a thick sand bed. Cowfish might be slightly sensitive to aquarium lights when first added, monitor for light sensitivity. They may also be difficult to acclimate to aquarium diet, try offering live, enriched meaty foods such as Black Worms and Brine or Glass/Grass Shrimp. Cowfish will also disturb sand bed by blowing it trying to uncover prey. They are constant grazers and have also been known to consume Cyanobacteria, Slime algae and other types of marcro and micro algae. Provide a diet rich in meaty and algae-based foods multiple times daily. Do not offer any floating foods as Cowfish may ingest air which can cause buoyancy issues. Cowfish may release a toxin if excited or threatened. Always remove Cowfish if being picked on or in poor health. Activated carbon will remove the toxins.

Longhorn Cowfish have a box-like body with a yellow brown colouration and a series of blue spots on their sides. They have a long, tube-like snout and two bony horns protruding from the front of their head. They can grow up to 50cm in length.

We recommend a minimum aquarium size of 800L or larger for this species.

Due to variations within species and age of fish, your item may not look identical to the image provided.