Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and filefishes) >
Balistidae (Triggerfishes)
Etymology: Rhinecanthus: Greek, rhinos = nose + Greek, akantha = thorn (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 50 m (Ref. 7348). Tropical, preferred ?; 30°N - 30°S
Indo-Pacific: Red Sea (Ref. 7348) south to South Africa (Ref. 4420) and east to the Hawaiian, Marquesan, and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe Island. Eastern Atlantic: Senegal to South Africa (Ref. 7348).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 14.0 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 30.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4420); common length : 15.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5450)
Commonly found in subtidal reef flats and shallow protected lagoons, Ref. 48637. Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Juveniles secretive with rubble patches, adults swim about openly but are usually shy (Ref. 48637). Territorial. Feed on algae, detritus, mollusks, crustaceans, worms, sea urchins, fishes, corals, tunicates, forams, and eggs (Ref. 3921). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Sleep on its side; makes a whirring noise when alarmed (Ref. 4420). Also caught with drive-in nets and is considered a popular aquarium fish (Ref. 9770).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Distinct pairing (Ref. 205).
Myers, R.F., 1991. Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p. (Ref. 1602)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial
More information
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5078 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01862 (0.01088 - 0.03186), b=2.93 (2.78 - 3.08), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.1 se; Based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.4).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (30 of 100) .