All fish / Balistidae

Bluethroat Triggerfish

Sufflamen albicaudatum

Also known as bluethroat trigger, white-tailed triggerfish, whitetail triggerfish, red sea bluethroat triggerfish, albicaudatus trigger, 白尾鼓气鳞鲀

This triggerfish is mostly brown with a pale tail and a pale line under the eye. Males also have a blue throat patch. It is one of the calmer triggers and stays fairly small, so hobbyists choose it for big fish-only tanks where they want a trigger with plenty of character.

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

400 litres

Keep as

Keep singly, or as a male and female pair in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: mussel, clam, shrimp, squid, krill and crustacean-based frozen foods, plus quality marine pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 or more years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to the Gulf of Oman

Breeding

In the wild, pairs lay eggs in a nest dug in the sand, and the female guards them. It has rarely if ever been bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

It is not reef safe. It will eat crustaceans, snails, urchins and small fish, and can bite through equipment cables. Because it is found only in the Red Sea region, it is not imported often and can cost a lot.