All fish / Balistidae

Blue Line Triggerfish

Pseudobalistes fuscus

Also known as blue-lined triggerfish, yellow-spotted triggerfish, rippled triggerfish, blue triggerfish, brown triggerfish, blueline trigger, blue line trigger, キヘリモンガラ, 黄点炮弹, 蓝纹炮弹

Adults have a dark blue body covered in wavy yellow or orange lines, while juveniles are yellowish with blue squiggles. It is a hardy, characterful fish that gets to know its keeper, which is why people with very large fish-only tanks keep it.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

40 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

1000 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

Carnivore: shellfish, prawns, squid, crab, krill and other meaty marine foods, plus pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 20 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific and Red Sea, from East Africa to the Society Islands

Breeding

In the wild, pairs lay eggs in a crater dug in the sand, and the female guards the nest aggressively. It has not been bred in home aquariums with any regularity.

Good to know

It grows to more than 50 cm in the wild and becomes very aggressive, and it will eat invertebrates and smaller fish, so it is not safe in a reef tank. It rearranges rockwork, so make sure the aquascape is secure.