All fish / Balistidae

Indian Triggerfish

Melichthys indicus

Also known as indian black triggerfish, black finned triggerfish, indian ocean trigger, indian trigger, blackfin triggerfish, indicus trigger, インディアンブラックトリガー, ikan pakol, 印度砲彈, 印度扳机鲀

A dark brown to black triggerfish with fine white lines along the bases of its dorsal and anal fins and a white-edged tail. People keep it because it is hardy and is one of the calmer triggerfish, so it can share a large tank with robust fish.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

20 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

Omnivore: algae, marine meaty foods such as shrimp, squid and mussel, plus quality pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indian Ocean: Red Sea and East Africa to Indonesia (Sumatra, Bali)

Breeding

In the wild pairs spawn on the bottom and the female guards the eggs in a nest. It has not been bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

Not reef safe as it eats crustaceans, snails and other invertebrates and can rearrange rockwork. Easily confused with the larger Black Durgon (Melichthys niger), which has blue lines along the fin bases.