Lagoon triggerfish

Picasso triggerfish ( Rhinecanthus aculeatus )

The Picasso triggerfish ( Rhinecanthus aculeatus ) lives in the Red Sea, Indo-Pacific from the coast of eastern and southern Africa to Japan, Hawaii, the Lord Howe Island and Tuamotu and in the eastern Atlantic from Senegal to South Africa. It prefers shallow lagoons with coral cover, sand and rubble zones and coral reefs. The fish are mainly used in very shallow zones prior to a depth of 5 meters. They live singly or in pairs and are territorial. Occasionally, however, they are also found in large groups.

Brood nurses Picasso triggerfish defend their spawning extremely aggressive and attack divers and swimmers. You can if they are disturbed, give whirring noises.

The 30 inches long expectant fish feed on various bottom-dwelling invertebrates, such as worms, mollusks, sea urchins, crabs, but also algae, foraminifera and detritus.

As an aquarium fish the Picasso triggerfish is hardly suitable because of its aggressiveness.