Fish Files in your Backyard

Clown Triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum)

Where do I live?

My native range is throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific as far west as the East coast of Africa, to the southern tip of Japan and as far southeast as Australia. I like to stay by myself, within the first 75 m of the surface, hiding in caves and crevices or near drop-offs on coral reefs. I am also popular in aquariums.

What do I look like?

I have a distinctive color pattern, with black spots on a yellow background on the upper part of my body and white spots on a black background on the lower half of my body. My snout is yellow and I have a white to yellow colored band across my snout and in front of my eyes. My tail is yellow, with black spots towards my body and black all around the edges of my fin. When I am a juvenile, I also have white spots on the upper part of my body, but they fade over time. I can grow up to 50 cm in length.

What do I eat?

I like to eat invertebrates such as sea urchins, mollusks and crustaceans such as crabs, which I can crush with my powerful teeth.

What is unique about me?

I am best known for my striking black and yellow color pattern. Due to my attractive colors, I am highly prized in the aquarium trade. I am normally shy, but will aggressively defend my nest, even chasing away divers that get too close.

How Common am I?

Scientists are not sure, but they are concerned about my numbers, because people like to take me from the wild to sell as an aquarium pet.