Longhorn Cowfish Breeding Guide

Lactoria cornuta is a pelagic spawner that forms harems and releases pelagic eggs and larvae at dusk, so it is not bred in home aquaria.

Overview

Lactoria cornuta forms harems of three to four females per male, with females generally larger than males. It reproduces by open-water spawning, releasing pelagic eggs and larvae, a strategy that cannot be reproduced in a closed aquarium. The notes below describe natural reproduction rather than a captive protocol.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

Paired courtship occurs just before or after sunset, and females spawn shortly after sunset, or during the day when there is heavy cloud cover. The spawning season runs from February through early October. The harem structure means a single male spawns with the several females in its group.

Egg & Fry Care

Both the oval eggs and the resulting ichthyoplankton are pelagic, developing in open water. The larvae gradually develop the boxlike carapace characteristic of adults. This drifting, open-water early life history is the reason the species is not reared by hobbyists.