Family Balistidae - Triggerfishes
  Order
:
  Class
:
Actinopterygii
No. in FishBase
:
Genera : 12 | Species : 42 Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes
  Environment
:
Fresh : No | Brackish : No | Marine : Yes
  Division
:
Marine
  Aquarium
:
many
  First Fossil Record
:
middle   Tertiary   middle   Oligocene
Ref..   Berg, L.S. 1958
  Remark
:
Distribution: Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Usually compressed body. Pelvic fins fused to one spine. First dorsal spine with locking mechanism. With 12 principal rays in caudal fin. 18 vertebrae. Upper jaw non-protrusible. Upper jaw usually with four teeth in outer and three in the inner series on each premaxillary. Capable of rotating eyeballs independently. Triggerfish normally swim by undulating their second dorsal and anal fins, but will use their tail for rapid bursts. Most triggerfishes are solitary diurnal carnivores, feeding on a wide variety of invertebrates including hard-shelled mollusks and echinoderms; some also feed on algae or zooplankton. They lay demersal eggs in a nest which is aggressively guarded by the female, less often by the male. Popular and hardy in aquaria, but often aggressive.
  Etymology
:
Greek, balein = to throw ( Ref. 45335).
  Reproductive guild
:
guarders
  Typical activity level
:
normal
  Main Ref
:
  Coordinator
:
  Deep Fin Classification
:
Osteichthyes | Actinopterygii | Actinopteri | Neopterygii | Teleostei | Osteoglossocephalai | Clupeocephala | Euteleosteomorpha | Neoteleostei | Eurypterygia | Ctenosquamata | Acanthomorphata | Euacanthomorphacea | Percomorphaceae | Percomorpharia | Tetraodontiformes | Balistoidei | Balistidae

Show species images | Show valid names | Nominal species list | Identification keys | CAS specimen photos | References

 
Ref.
[ e.g. 9948]
Glossary
[ e.g. cephalopods]


Species/Synonymy list for the family Balistidae as currently in FishBase

Important recommendation:

The list below must not be used as an authority reference synonymy list like those found in scientific published revisions, which must be the source to be used and cited eventually when they exist.

Rather, it reflects the current content of FishBase, and the progress with respect to synchronization with the Catalog of Fishes. However, we think it can be useful for users to assess the quality of information in FishBase, to start new work on the family, or to cross-check with other lists.

But we appreciate to be cited in publications when this list has been of any working value. In particular, for published scientific, we suggest then to cite it in the Material and Method section as a useful tool to conduct the research, but again, not as a taxonomic or nomenclatural authority reference.

Unless it is explicitly precised, the list is not complete, please search all original names published for the family in the Catalog of Fishes (genera, species), including those with uncertain or unknown status, that are not included in FishBase when they are not attached to a valid species.

This list uses some data from Catalog of Fishes (not shown but used to sort names).

In the column CofF, the digit indicates the status of synchronization with CofF: 0: Not checked; 1: Same status;   2: Different status;   3: Other combination;   4: Synonym in CofF;   5: Species/Subspecies issue;   6: Synonym of another species in CofF;   7: Not in CofF;   8: Should not be in CofF. The CofF version currently used is the one published on 23-07-2014 (Ref. 97102).

The list ordered as follows:

Please send comments and corrections if you detect errors or missing names.

Show all | Show only accepted name | Show only accepted and original names
Scientifc name Status Senior/Junior synonym Combination CofF
Balistes vetula Linnaeus, 1758
acceptedseniororiginal2
Balistes bellus Walbaum, 1792
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes equestris Gronow, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes vetula trinitatis Nichols & Murphy, 1914
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes capriscus Gmelin, 1789
acceptedseniororiginal2
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes forcipatus Gmelin, 1789
synonymjuniororiginal2
synonymjuniornew
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes buniva Lacepède, 1803
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes caprinus Valenciennes, 1839
synonymjuniororiginal2
synonymjuniororiginal2
ambiguoushomonymoriginal2
Balistes capriscus Gronow, 1854
ambiguoushomonymoriginal2
synonymjuniororiginal2
synonymjuniororiginal2
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes punctatus Gmelin, 1789
acceptedseniororiginal2
! Balsistes punctatus Gmelin, 1789
synonymseniororiginal
Balistes guttatus Walbaum, 1792
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes ciliaris Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes radiata Bowdich, 1825
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes dichrostigma Duméril, 1861
ambiguousotheroriginal2
Balistes liberiensis Steindachner, 1867
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes forcipatus (non Gmelin, 1789)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
Balistes rotundatus Marion de Procé, 1822
acceptedseniororiginal2
Canthidermis rotundatus (Marion de Procé, 1822)
synonymseniornew
Balistes willughbeii Lay & Bennett, 1839
acceptedseniororiginal2
Canthidermis willughbeii (Lay & Bennett, 1839)
synonymseniornew
Canthidermis maculatus (non Bloch, 1786)
misappliedmisappliednew
Balistes polylepis Steindachner, 1876
acceptedseniororiginal2
Pseudobalistes polylepis (Steindachner, 1876)
synonymseniornew
Verrunculus polylepis (Steindachner, 1876)
synonymseniornew
synonymjuniororiginal2
acceptedseniororiginal2
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal2
! Balistapus undulates (Park, 1797)
synonymseniornew
! Balistopus undulatus (Park, 1797)
synonymseniornew
Balistes minor Forsskål, 1775
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes lineatus Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymjuniororiginal2
synonymjuniororiginal1
Balistes porcatus Gronow, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistoides viridescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes viridescens Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymseniororiginal2
Pseudobalistes viridescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
! Balistapus viridescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
! Balistoides veridescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
Balistes brasiliensis Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymjuniororiginal2
synonymjuniororiginal2
synonymjuniornew
Balistoides conspicillum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes conspicillum Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymseniororiginal2
! Balistapus conspicillum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
! Balistoides conspicillium (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
Balistoides niger (non Bonaterre, 1788)
misappliedmisappliedmisapplied
Canthidermis maculata (Bloch, 1786)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes minimum Thiollière, 1857
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes maculatus Bloch, 1786
synonymseniororiginal2
synonymseniornew
Balistes americanus Gmelin, 1789
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes macropterus Walbaum, 1792
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes angulosus Quoy & Gaimard, 1824
synonymjuniororiginal2
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes azureus Lesson, 1831
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes adspersus Tschudi, 1846
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes senticosus Richardson, 1848
synonymjuniororiginal2
Canthidermis senticosus (Richardson, 1848)
synonymjuniornew
Balistes longus Gronow, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes rufus Gronow, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes brevissimus Hollard, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes longissimus Hollard, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes munumum Montrouzier, 1857
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes um Montrouzier, 1857
synonymjuniororiginal2
synonymjuniororiginal2
Canthidermis viola Herre, 1926
synonymjuniororiginal2
synonymjuniororiginal2
Canthidermis sufflamen (Mitchill, 1815)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes sufflamen Mitchill, 1815
synonymseniororiginal2
Balistes macrops Poey, 1860
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes sobaco Poey, 1860
synonymjuniororiginal2
synonymjuniororiginal2
Canthidermis macrolepis (Boulenger, 1888)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes macrolepis Boulenger, 1888
synonymseniororiginal2
ambiguousquestionableoriginal2
Canthidermis villosus Fedoryako, 1979
synonymjuniororiginal2
Melichthys niger (Bloch, 1786)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes niger Bloch, 1786
synonymseniororiginal2
! Melicthys niger (Bloch, 1786)
synonymseniornew
Balistes ringens Osbeck, 1765
synonymotheroriginal
Melichthys ringens (Osbeck, 1765)
synonymothernew
Balistes radula Solander, 1848
synonymjuniororiginal2
Melichthys radula (Solander, 1848)
synonymjuniornew
! Melicthys radula (Solander, 1848)
synonymjuniornew
Balistes verrucosus Gronow, 1854
ambiguousotheroriginal2
Balistes kib Montrouzier, 1857
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes kibitar Montrouzier, 1857
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes piceus Poey, 1863
synonymjuniororiginal2
Melichthys piceus (Poey, 1863)
synonymjuniornew
Melichthys bispinosus Gilbert, 1890
synonymjuniororiginal2
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes sillone Le Danois, 1961
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes buniva (non Lacepède, 1803)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
Melichthys buniva (non Lacepède, 1803)
misappliedmisappliedmisapplied
Melichthys vidua (Richardson, 1845)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes vidua Richardson, 1845
synonymseniororiginal2
! Melichthys vidula (Richardson, 1845)
synonymseniornew
Pachynathus nycteris Jordan & Evermann, 1903
synonymjuniororiginal2
Melichthys nycteris (Jordan & Evermann, 1903)
synonymjuniornew
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes erythropterus (Fowler, 1946)
synonymjuniornew
synonymjuniororiginal2
Melichthys indicus Randall & Klausewitz, 1973
acceptedseniororiginal2
! Melichtys indicus Randall & Klausewitz, 1973
synonymseniororiginal
Melichthys ringens (non Osbeck, 1765)
misappliedmisappliednew
Rhinecanthus aculeatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes aculeatus Linnaeus, 1758
synonymseniororiginal2
Balistapus aculeatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
synonymseniornew
synonymseniornew
! Rhineacanthus aculeatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
synonymseniornew
synonymjuniororiginal2
synonymjuniororiginal2
Monacanthus cheverti Alleyne & Macleay, 1877
synonymjuniororiginal2
Rhinecanthus verrucosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes verrucosus Linnaeus, 1758
synonymseniororiginal2
! Balistes verrucosa Linnaeus, 1758
synonymseniororiginal
! Rhineacanthus verrucosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
synonymseniornew
! Rhinecanthus verrucasus (Linnaeus, 1758)
synonymseniornew
! Rhinecanthus verrucosa (Linnaeus, 1758)
synonymseniornew
! Rhinecanthus verrucosuss (Linnaeus, 1758)
synonymseniornew
Rhinecanthus assasi (Forsskål, 1775)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes assasi Forsskål, 1775
synonymseniororiginal2
! Rhinecanthus assai (Forsskål, 1775)
synonymseniornew
! Rhinecanthus assasia (Forsskål, 1775)
synonymseniornew
Rhinecanthus cinereus (Bonnaterre, 1788)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes cinereus Bonnaterre, 1788
synonymseniororiginal2
Rhinecanthus rectangulus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes rectangulus Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymseniororiginal2
Balistapus rectangulus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
! Rhinecanthus rectangulatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
! Rhinecanthus retangulus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
Balistes echarpe Anonymous [Lacepède], 1798
synonymotheroriginal2
Rhinecanthus echarpe (Anonymous [Lacepède], 1798)
synonymothernew
Rhinecanthus lunula Randall & Steene, 1983
acceptedseniororiginal2
Rhinecanthus abyssus Matsuura & Shiobara, 1989
acceptedseniororiginal2
Odonus niger (Rüppell, 1836)
acceptedseniornew
Xenodon niger Rüppell, 1836
synonymseniororiginal2
Balistes erythrodon Günther, 1870
synonymjuniororiginal2
Odonus erythrodon (Günther, 1870)
synonymjuniornew
Xanthichthys ringens (Linnaeus, 1758)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes ringens Linnaeus, 1758
synonymseniororiginal2
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes nitidus Gronow, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes notatus Gronow, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes elongatus Hollard, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal2
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes heckelii Müller, 1865
synonymjuniororiginal2
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal2
Xanthichthys lima (Bennett, 1832)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes lima Bennett, 1832
synonymseniororiginal2
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal2
Xanthichthys ringens (non Linnaeus, 1758)
misappliedmisappliednew
Xanthichthys mento (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes mento Jordan & Gilbert, 1882
synonymseniororiginal2
synonymjuniororiginal2
Xanthichthys purus Tanaka, 1918
synonymjuniororiginal2
Xanthichthys surcatus de Buen, 1963
synonymjuniororiginal2
Xanthichthys caeruleolineatus Randall, Matsuura & Zama, 1978
acceptedseniororiginal2
! Xanthichthys caeuleolineatus Randall, Matsuura & Zama, 1978
synonymseniororiginal
! Xanthichthys careuleolineatus Randall, Matsuura & Zama, 1978
synonymseniororiginal
Xenobalistes punctatus Heemstra & Smith, 1983
synonymjuniororiginal2
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal2
synonymseniornew
Pseudobalistes fuscus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes fuscus Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymseniororiginal2
Balistes caerulescens Rüppell, 1829
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes rivulatus Rüppell, 1837
synonymjuniororiginal2
Pseudobalistes naufragium (Jordan & Starks, 1895)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes naufragium Jordan & Starks, 1895
synonymseniororiginal2
Abalistes stellatus (Anonymous, 1798)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes stellatus Anonymous, 1798
synonymseniororiginal2
Abalistes stellaris (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes stellaris Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymseniororiginal2
! Abalistes stellairs (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
Balistes vachellii Richardson, 1845
synonymjuniororiginal2
Balistes phaleratus Richardson, 1846
synonymjuniororiginal2
Abalistes stellatus (non Anonymous, 1798)
misappliedmisappliednew
Balistes stellatus (non Anonymous, 1798)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
Abalistes filamentosus Matsuura & Yoshino, 2004
acceptedseniororiginal2
Abalistes stellatus (non Anonymous, 1798)
misappliedmisappliednew
Abalistes stellaris (non Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
misappliedmisappliednew
Sufflamen fraenatum (Latreille, 1804)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes fraenatus Latreille, 1804
synonymseniororiginal2
Sufflamen fraenatus (Latreille, 1804)
synonymseniornew
! Sufflamen freanatus (Latreille, 1804)
synonymseniornew
! Sufflamen frenatus (Latreille, 1804)
synonymseniornew
synonymjuniororiginal2
synonymjuniornew
Sufflamen bursa (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes bursa Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymseniororiginal2
Hemibalistes bursa (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
Sufflamen chrysopterum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes chrysopterus Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymseniororiginal2
Hemibalistes chrysopterus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
Sufflamen chrysopterus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
! Hemibalistes chrysoptera (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
! Sufflamen chrysoptera (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
Sufflamen albicaudatum (Rüppell, 1829)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes albicaudatus Rüppell, 1829
synonymseniororiginal2
Sufflamen albicaudatus (Rüppell, 1829)
synonymseniornew
! Sufflamen albicaudus (Rüppell, 1829)
synonymseniornew
Sufflamen verres (Gilbert & Starks, 1904)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes verres Gilbert & Starks, 1904
synonymseniororiginal2
acceptedseniororiginal2
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