Animal Species:Yellowspotted Triggerfish, Pseudobalistes fuscus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

The Yellowspotted Triggerfishis blue to greyish with small yellow to orange spots. The species is found from the Eastern Indian Ocean to the Central Pacific.

Yellowspotted Triggerfish, Pseudobalistes fuscus

Yellowspotted Triggerfish, Pseudobalistes fuscus
Andrew Cooper © Andrew Cooper

Alternative Name/s

Blue-lined Trigger, Rippled Triggerfish

Identification

The Yellowspotted Triggerfish has a deep groove in front of the eyes and shallow horizontal grooves on the cheeks. The caudal fins of adult fish have pointed lobes. The fish is blue to greyish with small yellow to orange spots. The margins of the second dorsal, caudal and anal fins are light blue.

Size range

The species grows to about 55 cm in length.

Distribution

The species is found from the Eastern Indian Ocean to the Central Pacific. In Australia, it is known from north-western Western Australia and the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland 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.

Pseudobalistes fuscus

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Yellowspotted Triggerfish specimens in the Australian Museum

What does this mean?

Habitat

It occurs on coral reefs and tropical inshore waters.

Classification

Species:
fuscus
Genus:
Pseudobalistes
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. Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.
  3. Matsuura,K. 2001 Balistidae. Triggerfishes. in Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (Eds). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 6. Bony Fishes part 4 (Labridae to Latimeriidae), estuarine crocodiles, sea turtles, sea snakes and marine mammals. FAO, Rome. Pp. iii-v, 3381-4218.
  4. 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, Yellowspotted Triggerfish, Pseudobalistes fuscus, Balistidae, pink, blue, deep-bodied, 30 cm - 1 m, dots/spots, coral reef, marine, adult,