Wedge-tail triggerfish
(Rhinecanthus rectangulus)
Image source: Jo's Animal Database
General data
The reef triggerfish (Rhinecanthus rectangulus), also known as the rectangular triggerfish, wedgetail triggerfish is one of several species of triggerfish.
It is found in coral reefs in the entirety of the Western Pacific Ocean from North to South and Eastern Central Pacific. It is also found it the Indian Ocean from East to West and the Southeast Atlantic Ocean.
It lives up to 50 meters in depth.
It has a small second dorsal spine which is used to lock its main spine into an upright position. When sheltering in a small crevice, this locking helps protect the fish against extraction by a predator.
The reef triggerfish is characterized by having a noticeably large snout and blue lips that resemble that of a pig’s snout. It has strong teeth and a terminal mouth which help aid in scraping food of off surfaces. Along the dorsal side and anterior end of the fish, it has an orange-brown coloration and a white belly. The reef triggerfish has 3 dorsal spines, 22–25 dorsal rays, no anal spines, and 20–22 anal soft rays. The soft dorsal fins, anal fins, and pectoral fins have a pale white coloration to it. The caudal fin has a cloudy murky color.
The reef triggerfish is commonly confused with its two closest living relatives the lagoon triggerfish and picasso triggerfish.
The reef triggerfish was designated the official fish of Hawaii in 1985,[16] but due to an expiration of a Hawaiian state law after five years, it ceased to be the state fish in 1990.
