any tropical plectognath fish of the family Ostraciidae, having the body encased in bony plates with openings for the fins, eyes, mouth, etc
Also called: boxfish, cowfish
trunkfish in American English
(ˈtrʌŋkˌfɪʃ)
nounWord forms: pluralˈtrunkˌfish or ˈtrunkˌfishes
any of a family (Ostraciidae, order Tetraodontiformes) of tropical bony fishes having the body encased in fused, bony plates, with only the mouth, eyes, fins, and tail projecting through