This week we welcome our newest family member to The Lost Chambers Aquarium, the Longhorn Cowfish Lactoria cornuta!  Officially the cutest little fish we have ever laid eyes on!

At the moment you can meet these 6-month-old cuties in a Behind The Scenes Tour as they are swimming around in the Atlantis Marine Nursery while their new home is prepared.  But pretty soon you will be able to meet them at The Lost Chambers Aquarium.

You will notice them by their rather comical appearance and two pairs of longhorns, like those of a cow or bull, located on their heads and below their tails. Those little horns keep them safe as the fish are hard to swallow for most predators. They come in different colours like green, light orange to yellow, decorated with white or bluish spots and they can grow up to 20cm.

A native of the Indo Pacific Ocean and habitats of reefs from 1-50 m deep, they are omnivores, feeding on algae, worms and small fish. When you spot them in the marine exhibit they look like their hovering around because of their unique method of swimming. This method makes Longhorn Cowfish slow swimmers who can easily be caught, so to protect themselves they can exude deadly toxin in the mucous secretions of their skin.

Come meet the Longhorn Cowfish this summer and learn something new!