All fish / Balistidae

Starry Triggerfish

Abalistes stellatus

Also known as starry trigger, starspotted triggerfish, flat-tailed triggerfish, star triggerfish, no, ayam laut, オキハギ, ikan pakol, 星点炮弹, 宝石炮弹

This is a large triggerfish with a fairly flat body. It is olive to brown above with small pale and white spots, it has a few white saddle marks along the back, and its tail stalk is flattened. Owners of big tanks keep it for its personality and hardiness, but it is not often seen in the trade.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

40 cm

Temperature

22 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

1500 litres

Keep as

Singly

Diet

Carnivore: shellfish, prawn, squid, krill, crab and good-quality marine pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Japan and Australia

Breeding

In the wild it lays eggs on sandy or rubbly bottoms, and the parents guard the nest. It has not been bred in home aquariums in any reliable way.

Good to know

It grows to about 60 cm in the wild, so it needs a very large fish-only tank. It will eat invertebrates and can bully smaller fish, so it is not reef safe.