All fish / Balistidae

Picasso Triggerfish

Rhinecanthus aculeatus

Also known as humu humu triggerfish, humuhumu, picasso trigger, blackbar triggerfish, lagoon triggerfish, white-banded triggerfish, huma huma trigger, picasso triggerfish, ปลาวัวปิกาสโซ่, ムラサメモンガラ, ikan pakol, 尖吻棘鲀

A sturdy triggerfish with a pale body crossed by bold black, blue and yellow lines and bands, giving it an abstract painted look. It is popular for its striking pattern, hardiness and outgoing, curious personality, and it often learns to recognise its keeper.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

Carnivore: shrimp, squid, mussels, clams, krill, crab and quality marine pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific and eastern Atlantic, from East Africa and the Red Sea to Hawaii, plus West Africa

Breeding

Pairs spawn on sandy bottoms in the wild, where the female guards the demersal eggs fiercely. Breeding in home aquariums is very rarely achieved.

Good to know

It is not reef safe and will eat crustaceans, snails, small fish and urchins, and it can bite hands during maintenance. Keep it only with robust, similarly sized tankmates and expect it to rearrange rockwork.