Clown Triggerfish

The Clown Triggerfish has a dramatic coloration, making this species a most sought after addition to the home aquarium. The Clown Triggerfish is... more

by Jack Zulli

Title

Clown Triggerfish

Artist

Jack Zulli

Medium

Painting - Digital Art Painting

Description

The Clown Triggerfish has a dramatic coloration, making this species a most sought after addition to the home aquarium. The Clown Triggerfish is found along the inner and outer portions of a reef in the wild, wherever shellfish and other invertebrates are found.
Among the most colorful, the Clown Triggerfish is also one of the most aggressive commonly kept inhabitants of an aquarium. Care should be taken in selecting its tank mates, choosing other aggressive, large fish. The tank decor should also be chosen based on the propensity of the Clown Triggerfish to rearrange it.

The Clown Triggerfish needs a varied diet of meaty foods including; squid, krill, clams, small fish and hard shelled shrimp to help wear down their ever growing teeth.

The clown triggerfish is a small sized fish which grows up to 50 cm. Its body has a stock appearance, oval shape and compressed laterally. The head is large and represents approximately one third of the body length. The mouth is small, terminal and has strong teeth.

The first dorsal fin is composed of three spines, one of which is longer and stronger. It is erectile and hidden in a dorsal furrow. This set of dorsal spines composed a trigger system which is a characteristic from the family Balistidae. The second dorsal fin is similar in shape and size to the anal fin which is symmetrically opposed to it. The pelvic fin is reduced to a ventral protrusion.

The background coloration is black. Half of inferior part of the body is marked with big white spots which are more or less round. The area around the first dorsal fin is crossed by yellowish sinuosities which draw like a network reminding the leopard's patterns. There is a yellowish ring around the mouth, which is surrounded by another fin white ring. A white stripe ride the snout just under the eyes level. The second dorsal fin and the anal fin are white and underlined with a yellow line at their base. The caudal peduncle has a yellowish blotch on its top part and has three horizontal sets of spiny scales. The caudal fin is yellowish in its center and has black margin. Juveniles have a black background coloration spangled with small white spots, the extremity of the snout and the base of the first dorsal fin is yellowish

Uploaded

February 11th, 2014