Triacanthidae

The Triacanthidae family consists of marine fish, often called hornfishes, that are part of the suborder Balistoidea. These fish typically inhabit sandy bottoms and possess a protractile upper jaw, which they use to feed on mollusks. They are considered shallow-water derivatives of the more primitive spikefishes (family Triacanthodidae) and share generalized characteristics with them.12

The Triacanthidae family is characterized by a deeply forked caudal fin, a slender caudal peduncle, and a body that is relatively streamlined for swimming. The soft dorsal fin base is also significantly longer than the anal fin base. This family includes about seven species across four genera and is found in the Indo-Pacific region, sometimes inhabiting estuaries.2