Blue or rippled triggerfish

Pseudobalistes fuscus
Pseudobalistes fuscus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Family: Balistidae
Genus: Pseudobalistes
Species: P. fuscus
Binomial name
Pseudobalistes fuscus
(Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801)
Synonyms
  • Balistes caerulescens, Rüppell, 1829[1]
  • Balistes fuscus, Bloch & Schneider, 1801
  • Balistes rivulatus, Rüppell, 1837

Pseudobalistes fuscus, common names blue triggerfish or rippled triggerfish, yellow-spotted triggerfish and blue-and-gold triggerfish, is a fish belonging to the family Balistidae.[1][2]

Pseudobalistes fuscus

Description

Adult blue triggerfish from the Egyptian Red Sea

Pseudobalistes fuscus can reach a length of 55 centimetres (22 inches) in males. The body is mainly brown, but fins have yellow margins. Juveniles are yellowish brown with a network of brilliant bluish wavy lines. With growth these lines become interconnected.[1]

This fish is known for its aggressiveness and many divers choose to stay away from them, as they bite often.

Distribution

This species is widespread in the Tropical Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to South Africa, Society Islands, southern Japan, Australia and New Caledonia.[1]

Habitat

Yellow-spotted triggerfish is a reef-associated species. It prefers coastal waters, shallow lagoons and seaward reefs, at 30–50 metres (98–164 ft) of depth.[1]

Diet

This triggerfish, like most other triggerfish, eats shellfish, small crustaceans, and other bottom-dwelling invertebrae.[1]

References


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