Clown triggerfish

Care at a glance

The clown triggerfish is one of the most striking marine fish there is: deep black with large white spots on the belly, a yellow net pattern on the back and orange lips. Juveniles are still manageable, but it grows into a solid, powerful fish.

It is intelligent and frankly aggressive: it eats shellfish, shrimp and urchins and can maul tankmates. Keep it alone or with equally sturdy fish in a very large tank with firmly anchored rockwork, and work carefully in the tank, because it bites.

Good to know

• Outgrows most home tanks
• Preys on shrimp and snails
• Territorial

Best not combined with

• Cleaner shrimpLysmata amboinensis
• Hermit crab (red leg)Clibanarius sp.
• Turbo snailTurbo fluctuosus
• Fire shrimpLysmata debelius
• Blue leg hermit crabClibanarius tricolor
• Scarlet reef hermit crabPaguristes cadenati
• Electric blue hermit crabCalcinus elegans
• Dwarf zebra hermit crabCalcinus laevimanus

Related species

• Bluethroat triggerfishXanthichthys auromarginatus
• Niger triggerfishOdonus niger
• Bartlett’s anthiasPseudanthias bartlettorum
• Porcupine pufferDiodon holocanthus
• Dogface pufferArothron nigropunctatus
• Pearly jawfishOpistognathus aurifrons