THE STEINHART AQUARIUM - Gulf of Guinea Science ...

Diet: Small crustaceans, marine worms, brittle
stars, small mollusks. Often feed by digging
snouts into sand to extract food items.
Reproduction and Development: Pelagic
spawner. Move to deeper water for spawning.
Larvae transform into flatfish shape at 6–10
weeks.
Mortality/Longevity: Preyed upon by large
flounders, California sea lions, and cormorants.
Life span: c. 20 years.
Remarks: Pigmented side is capable of
remarkable color changes to match substrate.
As in all flatfish, the swim bladder disappears
in the adult.
Are an important part of the flatfish trawl
fishery from California to British Columbia,
where they are second only to Dover sole in
total pounds landed.
ORDER TETRAODONTIFORMES
Clown Triggerfish
Balistoides conspicillum (Balistidae)
Triggerfishes
Distribution: Indo-Pacific; East Africa to Samoa,
north to Hakkaido, south to Lord Howe
Island. Throughout Micronesia.
Habitat: Clear seaward reefs, 3-–5 m. Adults prefer
coral-rich areas of outer reef terraces adjacent
to steep drop offs. Juveniles usually near ledges
and caves of steep drop offs below 20 m.
Appearance: Length to 50 cm. Adults have a
small yellow mouth, black dorsal side with
yellow venations, large white polka dots on
belly, blue dorsal and anal fins.
Diet: Solitary diurnal carnivores. Dentition is
very efficient for chewing food with mineral
structures, such as sea urchins, mollusks, corals,
crabs and other crustaceans. Also eat tunicates.
Reproduction and Development: Female lays
demersal eggs in a nest which is aggressively
guarded by the male.
Remarks: Large, thick dorsal spine may
be locked upright by the second spine (the
trigger).
Pinktail Triggerfish
Melichthys vidua (Balistidae)
Triggerfishes
Distribution: Indo-Pacific: East to South
California Academy of Sciences
193
Africa, east to the Hawaiian Islands, north to
southern Japan, and south to the Great Barrier
Reef.
Habitat: Marine reefs, 4–60 m depth.
Appearance: Kite-shaped body so dark it
looks black, but is actually a deep forest green.
Pectoral fins yellow, black-edged gray or white
dorsal and anal fins, white and pink tail. Max.
length: 40 cm.
Diet: Algae, detritus, sponges, crustaceans,
octopuses, and fishes.
Reproduction and Development: Lays eggs
in nests guarded by the female.
Remarks: The first dorsal spine has a locking
mechanism.
Like all triggerfishes, able to rotate eyeballs
independently.
Black Triggerfish aka Redtooth Triggerfish
Odonus niger (Balistidae)
Triggerfishes
Distribution: Red Sea to Marquesas and Society
Islands, north to Southern Japan, south to
Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.
Habitat: Current-swept seaward reefs 2–35 m.
Appearance: Length to 40 cm. Head green with
rows of dark blue dots and stripes. Body, fins
dark blue.
Diet: Plankton and occasionally sponges, corals,
and other invertebrates.
Reproduction and Development: External fertilization.
Forms pairs, builds and guards nest.
Remarks: When alarmed retreats into crevasses,
with only tail filaments visible.
Blackbar Triggerfish aka Picassofish aka
Humuhumu nukunuku a pua’a
Rhinecanthus aculeatus (Balistidae)
Triggerfishes
Distribution: Indo-Pacific.
Habitat: Subtidal reef flats and shallow protected
lagoons to 50 m. In sandy areas with
rubble and shelter cavities.
Appearance: Length to 30 cm. Light brown
dorsally, shading to white ventrally, with a
large black area containing four blue diagonal
bands.
Diet: Algae, detritus, mollusks, crustaceans,
worms, sea urchins, heart urchins, fishes, coral,
tunicates, foraminiferans and eggs.