Yellowmargin Triggerfish

Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus

Also known as: Green Triggerfish, Pineapple Trigger, Pineapple Triggerfish, Starry Triggerfish, White Trigger, Yellowface Triggerfish, Yellow-faced Triggerfish, Yellowmargin Trigger

ALSO KNOWN AS

Green Triggerfish
Pineapple Trigger
Pineapple Triggerfish
Starry Triggerfish
White Trigger
Yellowface Triggerfish
Yellow-faced Triggerfish
Yellowmargin Trigger

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2022

LIFE STAGE

Add a photo

Yellowmargin Triggerfish adult, photographed at Gangehi, Maldives — @fishx6 · Gangehi, Maldives · March 20081 / 20

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

Overview

Found singly or in pairs, over silty estuaries, lagoons, and coastal reefs.

The females guard their nest aggressively.

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.

How to identify

COLOURS

Pattern: hatched lines
Behaviour: aggressive pairs solitary

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

Habitat & where to find it

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

Range · Indo-Pacific
Exact location · 1
Country only · 19

LIVES IN

Found singly or in pairs, over silty estuaries, lagoons, and coastal reefs.

RANGE

Indo-Pacific

Adult photos 20

Discussion 1

1 comment

tony bradley· 16 Feb 2015
We have one outside our water villa in the Maldives kuredu island it has charged and made contact once and if you sunbathe at edge of water on villa deck it will stick it's head out and stare
Helpful· 1