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Fish Identification: Find Species


Family: Balistidae Triggerfishes



(See list of species below)


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42 species (see list below)

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Photo by Justine, J.-L.

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 32.5 cm SL
Abalistes filamentosus Matsuura & Yoshino, 2004

Photo by Justine, J.-L.
 
Abalistes filamentosus
[]

Photo by CSIRO

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 60 cm TL
Abalistes stellaris (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Photo by CSIRO
 
Abalistes stellaris
[Starry triggerfish]

Photo by Khalaf, M.A.

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 60 cm TL
Abalistes stellatus (Anonymous, 1798)

Photo by Khalaf, M.A.
 
Abalistes stellatus
[]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 30 cm TL
Balistapus undulatus (Park, 1797)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Balistapus undulatus
[Orange-lined triggerfish]

Photo by Patzner, R.

Eastern Atlantic
Max. Length 60 cm TL
Balistes capriscus Gmelin, 1789

Photo by Patzner, R.
 
Balistes capriscus
[Grey triggerfish]
No picture found
Indian Ocean
 
Balistes ellioti
[]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Eastern Pacific
Max. Length 76 cm TL
Balistes polylepis Steindachner, 1876

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Balistes polylepis
[Finescale triggerfish]

Photo by Wirtz, P.

Eastern Atlantic
Max. Length 60 cm TL
Balistes punctatus Gmelin, 1789

Photo by Wirtz, P.
 
Balistes punctatus
[Bluespotted triggerfish]
No picture found
Indo-West Pacific.
Max. Length 27.2 cm SL
 
Balistes rotundatus
[]

Photo by Johnson, L.

Eastern Atlantic
Max. Length 60 cm TL
Balistes vetula Linnaeus, 1758

Photo by Johnson, L.
 
Balistes vetula
[Queen triggerfish]
No picture found
Eastern Central Pacific.
Max. Length 13.1 cm SL
 
Balistes willughbeii
[]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 50 cm TL
Balistoides conspicillum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Balistoides conspicillum
[Clown triggerfish]

Photo by Cook, D.C.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 75 cm TL
Balistoides viridescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Photo by Cook, D.C.
 
Balistoides viridescens
[Titan triggerfish]

Photo by Field, R.

Western Indian Ocean
Max. Length 60 cm TL
Canthidermis macrolepis (Boulenger, 1888)

Photo by Field, R.
 
Canthidermis macrolepis
[Largescale triggerfish]

Photo by Patzner, R.

Circumglobal. But not in
Max. Length 50 cm TL
Canthidermis maculata (Bloch, 1786)

Photo by Patzner, R.
 
Canthidermis maculata
[Rough triggerfish]

Photo by Wirtz, P.

Western Atlantic
Max. Length 65 cm TL
Canthidermis sufflamen (Mitchill, 1815)

Photo by Wirtz, P.
 
Canthidermis sufflamen
[Ocean triggerfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indian Ocean
Max. Length 25 cm TL
Melichthys indicus Randall & Klausewitz, 1973

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Melichthys indicus
[Indian triggerfish]

Photo by Luiz, Jr., O.

Circumtropical. Western
Max. Length 50 cm TL
Melichthys niger (Bloch, 1786)

Photo by Luiz, Jr., O.
 
Melichthys niger
[Black triggerfish]

Photo by Greenfield, J.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 40 cm TL
Melichthys vidua (Richardson, 1845)

Photo by Greenfield, J.
 
Melichthys vidua
[Pinktail triggerfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 50 cm TL
Odonus niger (Rüppell, 1836)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Odonus niger
[Red-toothed triggerfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 60 cm TL
Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus (Rüppell, 1829)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus
[Yellowmargin triggerfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 55 cm TL
Pseudobalistes fuscus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Pseudobalistes fuscus
[Yellow-spotted triggerfish]

Photo by IGFA

Eastern Pacific
Max. Length 100 cm TL
Pseudobalistes naufragium (Jordan & Starks, 1895)

Photo by IGFA
 
Pseudobalistes naufragium
[Stone triggerfish]
No picture found
Western Pacific.
Max. Length 16.7 cm SL
 
Rhinecanthus abyssus
[]

Photo by Miyahara, H.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 30 cm TL
Rhinecanthus aculeatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Photo by Miyahara, H.
 
Rhinecanthus aculeatus
[White-banded triggerfish]

Photo by Field, R.

Western Indian Ocean
Max. Length 30 cm TL
Rhinecanthus assasi (Forsskål, 1775)

Photo by Field, R.
 
Rhinecanthus assasi
[Picasso triggerfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Western Indian Ocean
Max. Length 16.5 cm SL
Rhinecanthus cinereus (Bonnaterre, 1788)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Rhinecanthus cinereus
[]

Photo by Bajol, R.

Pacific Ocean
Max. Length 28 cm TL
Rhinecanthus lunula Randall & Steene, 1983

Photo by Bajol, R.
 
Rhinecanthus lunula
[Halfmoon picassofish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 30 cm TL
Rhinecanthus rectangulus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Rhinecanthus rectangulus
[Wedge-tail triggerfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 23 cm TL
Rhinecanthus verrucosus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Rhinecanthus verrucosus
[Blackbelly triggerfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Western Indian Ocean
Max. Length 22 cm TL
Sufflamen albicaudatum (Rüppell, 1829)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Sufflamen albicaudatum
[Bluethroat triggerfish]

Photo by Patzner, R.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 25 cm TL
Sufflamen bursa (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Photo by Patzner, R.
 
Sufflamen bursa
[Boomerang triggerfish]

Photo by Patzner, R.

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 30 cm TL
Sufflamen chrysopterum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Photo by Patzner, R.
 
Sufflamen chrysopterum
[Halfmoon triggerfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 38 cm TL
Sufflamen fraenatum (Latreille, 1804)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Sufflamen fraenatum
[Masked triggerfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Eastern Pacific
Max. Length 40 cm TL
Sufflamen verres (Gilbert & Starks, 1904)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Sufflamen verres
[Orangeside triggerfish]

Photo by Honeycutt, K.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 30 cm TL
Xanthichthys auromarginatus (Bennett, 1832)

Photo by Honeycutt, K.
 
Xanthichthys auromarginatus
[Gilded triggerfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 35 cm TL
Xanthichthys caeruleolineatus Randall, Matsuura & Zama, 1978

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Xanthichthys caeruleolineatus
[Outrigger triggerfish]
No picture found
Western Indian Ocean
 
Xanthichthys lima
[]

Photo by Gloerfelt-Tarp, T.

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 30 cm TL
Xanthichthys lineopunctatus (Hollard, 1854)

Photo by Gloerfelt-Tarp, T.
 
Xanthichthys lineopunctatus
[Striped triggerfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Western Pacific
Max. Length 30 cm NG
Xanthichthys mento (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Xanthichthys mento
[Redtail triggerfish]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Western Atlantic
Max. Length 25 cm TL
Xanthichthys ringens (Linnaeus, 1758)

Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Xanthichthys ringens
[Sargassum triggerfish]
No picture found
Western Central Pacific.
 
Xenobalistes tumidipectoris
[]
42 Species of Family Balistidae
(Triggerfishes)
Sort by: Species Length Year
1 of 1 Jump to:
Year Scientific Name English Name Distribution Max. Length (cm)
2004 Abalistes filamentosus Indo-West Pacific 32.5 SL
1801 Abalistes stellaris Starry triggerfish Indo-West Pacific 60 TL
1798 Abalistes stellatus Indo-West Pacific 60 TL
1797 Balistapus undulatus Orange-lined triggerfish Indo-Pacific 30 TL
1789 Balistes capriscus Grey triggerfish Eastern Atlantic 60 TL
1889 Balistes ellioti Indian Ocean
1876 Balistes polylepis Finescale triggerfish Eastern Pacific 76 TL
1789 Balistes punctatus Bluespotted triggerfish Eastern Atlantic 60 TL
1822 Balistes rotundatus Indo-West Pacific. 27.2 SL
1758 Balistes vetula Queen triggerfish Eastern Atlantic 60 TL
1839 Balistes willughbeii Eastern Central Pacific. 13.1 SL
1801 Balistoides conspicillum Clown triggerfish Indo-Pacific 50 TL
1801 Balistoides viridescens Titan triggerfish Indo-Pacific 75 TL
1888 Canthidermis macrolepis Largescale triggerfish Western Indian Ocean 60 TL
1786 Canthidermis maculata Rough triggerfish Circumglobal. But not in 50 TL
1815 Canthidermis sufflamen Ocean triggerfish Western Atlantic 65 TL
1973 Melichthys indicus Indian triggerfish Indian Ocean 25 TL
1786 Melichthys niger Black triggerfish Circumtropical. Western 50 TL
1845 Melichthys vidua Pinktail triggerfish Indo-Pacific 40 TL
1836 Odonus niger Red-toothed triggerfish Indo-Pacific 50 TL
1829 Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus Yellowmargin triggerfish Indo-Pacific 60 TL
1801 Pseudobalistes fuscus Yellow-spotted triggerfish Indo-Pacific 55 TL
1895 Pseudobalistes naufragium Stone triggerfish Eastern Pacific 100 TL
1989 Rhinecanthus abyssus Western Pacific. 16.7 SL
1758 Rhinecanthus aculeatus White-banded triggerfish Indo-Pacific 30 TL
1775 Rhinecanthus assasi Picasso triggerfish Western Indian Ocean 30 TL
1788 Rhinecanthus cinereus Western Indian Ocean 16.5 SL
1983 Rhinecanthus lunula Halfmoon picassofish Pacific Ocean 28 TL
1801 Rhinecanthus rectangulus Wedge-tail triggerfish Indo-Pacific 30 TL
1758 Rhinecanthus verrucosus Blackbelly triggerfish Indo-West Pacific 23 TL
1829 Sufflamen albicaudatum Bluethroat triggerfish Western Indian Ocean 22 TL
1801 Sufflamen bursa Boomerang triggerfish Indo-Pacific 25 TL
1801 Sufflamen chrysopterum Halfmoon triggerfish Indo-West Pacific 30 TL
1804 Sufflamen fraenatum Masked triggerfish Indo-Pacific 38 TL
1904 Sufflamen verres Orangeside triggerfish Eastern Pacific 40 TL
1832 Xanthichthys auromarginatus Gilded triggerfish Indo-Pacific 30 TL
1978 Xanthichthys caeruleolineatus Outrigger triggerfish Indo-West Pacific 35 TL
1832 Xanthichthys lima Western Indian Ocean
1854 Xanthichthys lineopunctatus Striped triggerfish Indo-West Pacific 30 TL
1882 Xanthichthys mento Redtail triggerfish Western Pacific 30 NG
1758 Xanthichthys ringens Sargassum triggerfish Western Atlantic 25 TL
1981 Xenobalistes tumidipectoris Western Central Pacific.



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cfm script by eagbayani, 30.11.04, ,  php script by cmilitante, 05/11/2010 ,  last modified by cmilitante, 14/03/2013