WoRMS taxon details
Lactophrys trigonus (Linnaeus, 1758)
158931 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:158931)
accepted
Species
Ostracion expansum Cope, 1871 · unaccepted (synonym)
Ostracion trigonus Linnaeus, 1758 · unaccepted
Ostracion undulatus Poey, 1868 · unaccepted
Ostracium expansum Cope, 1871 · unaccepted (synonym)
marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
(of Ostracion trigonus 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) to Brazil, including Bermuda, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean
Distribution Western Atlantic: Massachusetts (USA) to Brazil, including Bermuda, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean [details]
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2026). FishBase. Lactophrys trigonus (Linnaeus, 1758). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=158931 on 2026-10-07
The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Nomenclature
original description
(of Ostracium expansum Cope, 1871) Cope, E. D. (1871). Contribution to the ichthyology of the Lesser Antilles. <em>Transactions of the American Philosophical Society (New Series).</em> v. 14 (pt 3) (art. 5): 445-483.
page(s): 474, Figs. 9-10 [details]
original description (of Ostracion trigonus 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 Froese, R. & D. Pauly (Editors). (2026). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. version (04/2025)., available online at https://www.fishbase.org [details]
page(s): 474, Figs. 9-10 [details]
original description (of Ostracion trigonus 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 Froese, R. & D. Pauly (Editors). (2026). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. version (04/2025)., available online at https://www.fishbase.org [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 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]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Unreviewed
Diet Feeds on a wide variety of small benthic invertebrates such as molluscs, crustaceans, worms and sessile tunicates, as well as some sea grasses [details]Distribution Western Atlantic: Massachusetts (USA) to Brazil, including Bermuda, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean [details]
Habitat Inhabits seagrass beds, coral rubble areas, and offshore reefs down to about 50 m. [details]
Habitat benthic [details]
Importance Social- Commercial, fishery, gamefish and aquarium fish [details]
To Barcode of Life (38 barcodes)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (3 publications) (from synonym Ostracion expansum Cope, 1871)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (4 publications) (from synonym Ostracion undulatus Poey, 1868)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (70 publications) (from synonym Ostracion trigonus Linnaeus, 1758)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (95 publications)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Lactophrys trigonus)
To FishBase
To FishBase (from synonym Ostracion expansum Cope, 1871)
To FishBase (from synonym Ostracion trigonus Linnaeus, 1758)
To Fishbase (from synonym Ostracium expansum Cope, 1871)
To FishBase (from synonym Ostracion undulatus Poey, 1868)
To FishSounds
To GenBank (32 nucleotides; 40 proteins)
To GenBank (32 nucleotides; 40 proteins) (from synonym Ostracion trigonus Linnaeus, 1758)
To Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI)
To IUCN Red List (Least Concern)
To NHMUK collection (Ostracion trigonus Linnaeus, 1758; NHMUK:ecatalogue:8058024) (from synonym Ostracion trigonus Linnaeus, 1758)
To ITIS
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (3 publications) (from synonym Ostracion expansum Cope, 1871)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (4 publications) (from synonym Ostracion undulatus Poey, 1868)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (70 publications) (from synonym Ostracion trigonus Linnaeus, 1758)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (95 publications)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Lactophrys trigonus)
To FishBase
To FishBase (from synonym Ostracion expansum Cope, 1871)
To FishBase (from synonym Ostracion trigonus Linnaeus, 1758)
To Fishbase (from synonym Ostracium expansum Cope, 1871)
To FishBase (from synonym Ostracion undulatus Poey, 1868)
To FishSounds
To GenBank (32 nucleotides; 40 proteins)
To GenBank (32 nucleotides; 40 proteins) (from synonym Ostracion trigonus Linnaeus, 1758)
To Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI)
To IUCN Red List (Least Concern)
To NHMUK collection (Ostracion trigonus Linnaeus, 1758; NHMUK:ecatalogue:8058024) (from synonym Ostracion trigonus Linnaeus, 1758)
To ITIS
Unreviewed
Hosted externally, from synonym
