05/30/2026
Remember this underwater underdog? 🐠🦬
Back in March, the buffalo trunkfish swam its way to second place in the Aquarium Showdown: Underwater Underdogs bracket!
These fish get their name from the large hump on their backs, which looks a bit like a buffalo. They’re also part of the same family as puffers, triggerfish, and other boxfish. The two buffalo trunkfish featured in these photos both live in our Caribbean Lagoon exhibit in our Yawkey Coral Reef Gallery.
Last fall, these buffalo trunkfish that are now living in our Caribbean Lagoon exhibit were found near Woods Hole, MA, by a rescue and rehab volunteer from the Children’s School of Science and donated to the Aquarium for a safe new home. Every year, warm Gulf Stream currents carry young tropical fish north to New England waters. Known as “Gulf Stream orphans,” these fish can survive the summer here but can’t make it through our cold winters on their own.
Both trunkfish have grown exponentially since arriving at the Aquarium and are still showing off their bright blue juvenile coloration. As they continue to grow, they’ll gradually develop the mottled brown-and-white adult pattern seen in older buffalo trunkfish. Safe to say these underdogs are well on their way to a serious glow-up!
