Cowfish (Lactoria cornuta). SIZE WARNING!

A very charming fish with lots of personality. Although commonly only seen for sale as small juveniles, this species can grow very large and often very quickly. Juveniles upto 2” are best housed in small tanks with no powerheads or filter intakes. Small juveniles are quite poor swimmers and easily get stuck on pump intakes which is usually fatal to the Cowfish. Larger specimens are much better swimmers. This species is best grown on until 2” in a small tank and then moved into a larger aquarium. Adults require a minimum of 1,000 litres, and due to their fast growth rate it is recommended you do not buy this species unless you already have a suitable 1,000 litre tank up and running ready for it. Many hobbyists believe can release a toxin, but, this is not true. Their close cousins the Boxfish can release toxins, but, Cowfish cannot. Cowfish are sensitive to poor water conditions, especially low oxygen levels.

SIZE

Shipped at a wide variety of sizes. Grows very rapidly to a whopping 20”!

COMPATIBILITY

Generally safe with most soft corals. Will eat LPS corals. May eat mobile inverts. Large specimens may eat small fish. Best kept with fish of similar size. Avoid keeping with other Cowfish, Boxfish, Trunkfish, or, Turretfish, as they will fight. Avoid housing with Cleaner wrasse or other cleaner fish (eg small Butterflies) which may peck at the Cowfish.

SIZE WARNING! THIS FISH CAN GROW EXTREMELY LARGE, AND MAY DO SO VERY QUICKLY!

All fish with a large potential size may need special care, and may require a tank set up in a particular way to suit their specific needs. Large fish need a lot of space, even as juveniles they may need large tanks to get enough exercise to develop properly. Large fish may view smaller tankmates as food. Large fish may sometimes damage equipment and bite through power cables. Also bear in mind that large fish can eat a lot of food. It’s not unusual for 1 large fish to eat several packs of frozen food a day, which can be expensive. Large fish can be difficult to rehome, so do not purchase them unless you already have the facilities to house them at a larger size.

APPROVAL REQUIRED BEFORE PURCHASE!

You will need to verify that you already have experience with large, powerful, predatory fish. If housing this fish singly you will need an unstocked and running aquarium of 2,000+ litres. If housing with suitable tankmates an even larger aquarium may be required. We will video call and/or visit to inspect the aquarium for it before sending the animal.

Marine fish UK delivery

We deliver marine fish mail order. Our marine fish online can be purchased for pickup in store, or, UK delivery.. See the Salty Revolution Shipping Guide for more information on our UK delivery service.