Acanthostracion guineense, the West African cowfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. This species is found off the coast of Western Africa in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. This species is the smallest member of the genus "Acanthostracion".
Taxonomy.
"Acanthostracion guineense" was first formally described as "Ostracion guineense" in 1865 by the Dutch physician, herpetologist and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker, with its type locality giben as "Guinea". The 5th edition of "Fishes of the World" classifies the genus "Acanthostracion" in the within the family Ostraciidae in the suborder Ostracioidea within the order Tetraodontiformes.
Etymology.
"Acanthostracion guineense" is classified within the genus "Acanthostracion", this name combines "acanthus", which means "spine" or "thorn", with "ostracion". Bleeker originally proposed this taxon as a subgenus of the genus "Ostracion" The Specific name means "of Guinea", it is sometimes written as "giuneensis" but the genus name is neuter so "guineense" is correct.
Description.
"Acanthostracion guineense" has a maximum published total length of .
Distribution and habitat.
"Acanthostracion guineense" is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean along the coast of Western Africa between Mauritania and Angola. It occurs at depths between on the continental shelf.
Conservation status.
"Acanthostracion guineense" is classified as data deficient by the IUCN, it is common in some parts of its range but there is very little data on population, life history or ecology.