Melichthys niger | fishIDER

Osteichthyes Balistidae Genus Melichthys Melichthys niger

Black triggerfish MEN

23.2 cm TL

Characteristic features:

Colour:

Body black, soft dorsal and anal fins black with bluish white bases, caudal fin uniformly black.

Size:

Up to 32 cm TL.

Distribution:

Circumglobal in tropical waters.

Habitat:

Coral reefs, to 75 m depth.

Indonesian fisheries:

Caught by gillnets, handlines and drive-in nets.

Similar species:

Melichthys indicus
Indian triggerfish

Melichthys indicus differs in having a caudal fin rounded (vs. emarginate to lunate); caudal fin black, sometimes with a narrow white margin (vs. uniformly black) and 27–31 scale rows between mouth and gill opening (vs. 20–25).

to Melichthys indicus

Melichthys vidua
Pinktail triggerfish

Melichthys vidua differs in having soft dorsal and anal fins pale with narrow black outer margins and the caudal fin pinkish (vs. soft dorsal, anal and caudal fins blackish).

to Melichthys vidua

External links:

FishBase
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species^TM