Reef triggerfish
| Reef triggerfish | |
|---|---|
| 1852 illustration from the fishes of Hawaii | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | Balistidae |
| Genus: | Rhinecanthus |
| Species: | R. rectangulus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Rhinecanthus rectangulus (Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801)
| |
The reef triggerfish (Rhinecanthus rectangulus) is one of several species of triggerfish. It is also known as the rectangular triggerfish, wedgetail triggerfish,[2] or by its Hawaiian name humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa, meaning 'triggerfish with a snout like a pig'.[3]
The reef triggerfish is found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific[4] and is the state fish of Hawaii.
Description
The fish's teeth and top lip are blue, and the teeth are set close together inside its plump mouth. Its body is laterally compressed (flattened from side to side).[5]
It has a small second dorsal spine which is used to lock its main spine into an upright position. This locking helps protect it from predators.
State fish
The reef triggerfish was designated the official fish of Hawaii in 1985, but lost this title in 1990 due to the expiration of a state law. However, on April 17, 2006, the triggerfish became the state fish of Hawaii once again.
References
- ↑ Matsuura, K. (2022). "Rhinecanthus rectangulus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T193713A2264564. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T193713A2264564.en. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ↑ "Wedgetail Triggerfish - Rhinecanthus rectangulus - Triggerfishes - Reef Triggerfish - Hawaii Reefs". reefguide.org. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
- ↑ humuhumunukunukuapua'a. humuhumunukunukuapua'a. (n.d.) American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. (2011). Accessed on The Free Dictionary. Retrieved on 2015-05-18.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2005). "Rhinecanthus rectangulus" in FishBase. December 2005 version.
- ↑ Browning, Isabel. "The Incredible Diversity of Fish: How Form Equals Function | Smithsonian Ocean". ocean.si.edu. Retrieved 2025-05-02.