Animal Species:Eye-stripe Triggerfish, Sufflamen chrysopterum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Eye-stripe Triggerfish is a tropical Indo-West Pacific species that has a yellowish stripe through the eye.

Eye-stripe Triggerfish at the Great Barrier Reef

Eye-stripe Triggerfish at the Great Barrier Reef
Erik Schlögl © Erik Schlögl

Alternative Name/s

Black Triggerfish, Blue-throated Triggerfish, Flagtail Triggerfish, Yellowstreak Triggerfish, Half-moon Triggerfish

Identification

The Eye-stripe Triggerfish is brown with a green to yellow stripe from the eye to the pectoral fin base. The tail is yellow-brown with distinct white margins. The lower part of the head is often purplish-blue.

Juveniles are yellowish above, white below and black laterally. They have a yellow patch on the tail.

Size range

This species grows to 22cm in length.

Distribution

It occurs widely in the tropical Indo-West Pacific.

In Australia it is known from the central coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north and south to southern New South Wales.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information.  Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Sufflamen chrysopterum

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Eye-stripe Triggerfish specimens in the Australian Museum.

What does this mean?

Habitat

It is usually seen in sheltered reef areas.

Classification

Species:
chrysopterum
Genus:
Sufflamen
Family:
Balistidae
Order:
Tetraodontiformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
  2. Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
  3. Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
  4. Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
  5. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags fishes, ichthyology, Eye-stripe Triggerfish, Sufflamen chrysopterum, Balistidae, yellow, grey, blue, deep-bodied, 10 cm - 30 cm, blotches/mottled, countershaded, tropical, marine, adult,