Reef triggerfish

Diamond Picasso triggerfish ( Rhinecanthus rectangulus )

The diamond Picasso triggerfish ( Rhinecanthus rectangulus ), also called Humudrückerfisch, is a species of the family triggerfish ( Balistidae ). He's in the Indo-Pacific region, widely used by the Red Sea to Hawaii, and from Japan to South Africa.

Features

The diamond Picasso triggerfish is 30 inches long. It has a striking, high-contrast staining. A large black wedge extends from the anal fin to the eyes and disguises this. Caudal, anal and dorsal fin are light blue. He can fix like all members of the triggerfish the first dorsal spine through the second sting in an upright position.

• Fins formula: Dorsal III/22-25, Anal 0/20-22.

Way of life

The diamond Picasso trigger fish lives mainly as a loner on Riffterassen and in the shallow zones of the outer reefs. It eats algae, foraminifera, molluscs, crustaceans, worms, echinoderms, fish and their spawn.

The fish, which is called in Hawaiian humuhumunukunukuapua'a (translated as: trigger fish with a mouth like a pig), is the state fish of the U.S. state of Hawaii.