WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Blue Triggerfish

Pseudobalistes fuscus

Also known as: Blue-and-Gold Triggerfish, Blue-and-Rippled Triggerfish, Blue-lined Triggerfish, Brown Triggerfish, Brown-and-Gold Triggerfish, Jigsaw Triggerfish, Rippled Triggerfish, Yellow-spotted Triggerfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2022
Adult
@jpc · Vilamendhoo, Maldives · February 20001 / 7

Showing details for the adult stage. Switch stages to see how it differs.

01

Overview

Found singly or in pairs, over sandy areas, close to reef edges, patch reefs and deep water shipwrecks.

Triggerfish have a hard spine dorsal fin that can be locked.
When sleeping this spine is used to wedge them into place in a crevasse and so deter predators from pulling them out of their bed!
The spine is also held erect as a warning to other fish to stay away.
Several large Titans blow shallow depressions in the sand for nesting and if approached will raise this spine as a warning, if ignored they may charge, even divers! especially the Titan Triggerfish who will take a tasty bite. Beware.

02

How to identify

Behaviour
pairssolitary

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

Where the adult stage lives, and where its photos were taken.

  • Range · Indo-Pacific
  • Country only · 7
LIVES IN

Found singly or in pairs, over sandy areas, close to reef edges, patch reefs and deep water shipwrecks.

04

Adult photos 7

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderTetraodontiformes
    5. familyBalistidae
    6. genusPseudobalistes
    7. speciesPseudobalistes fuscus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Triggerfishes (Balistidae)