Clown Triggerfish | Oceana
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Marine Life Encyclopedia

Ocean Fishes

Clown Triggerfish

Balistoides Conspicillum

Distribution

Tropical latitudes in the Indian and west Pacific oceans

ECOSYSTEM/HABITAT

Coral and rocky reefs

FEEDING HABITS

TAXONOMY

Order Tetraodontiformes (plectognaths), Family Balistidae (triggerfishes)

The general name ‘triggerfish’ comes from the locking characteristic of the dorsal fin that all triggerfishes possess. The first dorsal-fin spine is large and strong and provides these fishes with some protection from predation. When it is erect (standing upright), it is locked in place by the second spine. The first spine can only be lowered after the second is pulled back, like a trigger. Few species are known to eat clown triggerfish.

Clown triggerfish are territorial, and males are the first to arrive at spawning areas, where they set up and defend small territories. Once females arrive, the males actively court them, and the females decide with which males they will mate. After a female chooses a mate, she lays her eggs in his territory, and he immediately fertilizes them. Together, they guard the nest from egg predators until the eggs hatch, after which the female may visit another male or the mating season may be complete.

As a result of its bright colors, the clown triggerfish is one of the most sought after reef fishes for public and private aquaria. It is often captured in the wild to support this industry. The clown triggerfish is typically fairly uncommon but can reach large numbers at some locations, especially during mating. Its conservation status is currently unknown, but its rarity is likely a natural occurrence

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