[3] The spotted trunkfish was first formally described as Ostracion bicaudalis in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae with its type locality given as "India".

[4] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the genus Lactophrys within the family Ostraciidae in the suborder Ostracioidea within the order Tetraodontiformes.

Members of this family are known as boxfishes because they have a hard outer covering consisting of hexagonal plate-like scales fused together into a solid, triangular or box-like carapace.

[8] The spotted trunkfish is found in the Caribbean Sea, the southern half of the Gulf of Mexico, Ascension Island and the northeastern coast of South America as far east as Brazil.

It prefers clear water and is usually associated with coral reefs with fissures, holes and overhangs, at depths down to about 30 m (100 ft).