The pinktail triggerfish

pinktail triggerfish

Scientific name	Melichthys vidua
Descriptor	Richardson
Year of description	1845
IUCN category (World)	LC
Family	Balistidae
Genus	Melichthys

Introduction

Melichthys vidua, commonly known as pinktail triggerfish, is a salt water fish.

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Who is it?

Morphology

Average size

30 cm
Maximum size

40 cm

Average size

30 cm
Maximum size

40 cm

How to recognize the pinktail triggerfish ?

The pinktail triggerfish measures between 30 and 40 cm. This fish is unicolore with a predominantly noir body.

Behaviour & Life cycle

diet

carnivorous
Sociability

living in a group or alone
territorial

Yes
Way of living

diurnal

The pinktail triggerfish is a fish living in a group or alone naturally found at mid-depth and near the bottom. This species is carnivorous .

This species is territorial and does not appreciate the presence of intruders nearby, especially animals with similar behavior. However, the pinktail triggerfish has little concern for non-territorial animals.

Reproduction

Reproduction

ovipare qui pond sur substrat découvert

The pinktail triggerfish is a fish ovipare qui pond sur substrat découvert.

Risks for humans

Venomous

No
Bite

Yes

This species can attack if it feels threatened. It is important to be particularly vigilant especially during dives or fishing sessions.

Where to find it?

Origin

Great Barrier Reef mer d'Oman Philippine Sea South East Asian Seas Indonesian seas western Indian Ocean Galapagos Tropical Eastern Pacific

islands

Bali Lombok Nusa Penida

Conservation status of populations (IUCN)

World : LC

Where to see this species?

What is its habitat?

Natural environment characteristics

Temperature

25 - 29 °C
Depth

60 - 0 m

Biotope presentation

Species of the same biotope

To go further

Species of the same family

To read on the web

Sources & Contributions

Participation & Validation

The Fishipedia team and specialist contributors are committed to providing high-quality content. However, although the information comes from scientific sources or testimonials from specialists, the cards may contain inaccuracies.

Silvia Gomez

Benoit Chartrer

Adrien Falzon

Translation

Translation done with the valuable contribution of our translators, who make this information available to a wider audience. We sincerely thank them for their commitment.

Bibliographic references

The complete mitochondrial genome of the yellow-spotted triggerfish (Pseudobalistes fuscus) - Kai Zhang, Xinxin You, Junmin Xu & Qiong Shi - - 2016.

Taxonomic review of the genera Balistoides, Pseudobalistes and Parabalistes of the family Balistidae with redescription of species occurring in Indian Seas - SATISH SAHAYAK, K. K. JOSHI* AND V. SRIRAMACHANDRA MURTY* - J. Fish Biol. - 2014.

Hypocreadium toombo n. sp. (Digenea: Lepocreadiidae) in the yellow-spotted triggerfish Pseudobalistes fuscus - RODNEY A. BRAY & JEAN-LOU JUSTINE - ZOOTAXA - 2006.