All fish / Balistidae

Sargassum Triggerfish

Xanthichthys ringens

Also known as sargassum trigger, redtail triggerfish, red tail trigger, sargassum triggerfish, redtail trigger, カリビアンレッドテールトリガー, 黄鳍鳞鲀

A bluish grey triggerfish with rows of dark spots, three dark grooves on the cheek and a red edged lyre shaped tail. It is one of the calmer triggerfish and spends more time in open water feeding on plankton, which makes it popular with keepers who want a trigger for a larger community tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

22 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Single specimen or a mated pair

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, krill, chopped shrimp, squid, marine pellets and some plankton

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Atlantic: Bermuda, Bahamas, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico to Brazil

Breeding

Pairs lay eggs in a nest on the substrate that is guarded by the parents. Captive breeding is very rarely achieved in home aquariums.

Good to know

It is usually considered reef safe with corals but will eat small crustaceans and may nip tankmates, so house it with robust fish in a large tank. Deep water specimens are often collected and can be costly.