The
Indian triggerfish (
MelichthysMelichthys is a genus in the triggerfish family .- Species :*Melichthys indicus : Indian triggerfish*Melichthys niger : Black triggerfish*Melichthys vidua : Pinktail triggerfish...
indicus), also known as the black-finned triggerfish, has a brown body and black fins with white lines at the base of the
dorsalA dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs. Depending on the species, an animal can have up to three of them. Its main purpose is to stabilize the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns...
and anal fins. It is found in the
Indo-PacificThe Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...
oceans. They can grow up to .
The Indian triggerfish usually feed on hard-shelled mollusks and echinoderms but some feed on
algaeAlgae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms. The largest and most complex marine forms are called seaweeds. They are photosynthetic, like plants, and "simple" because they lack the many distinct organs found in...
and
zooplanktonZooplankton are the heterotrophic type of plankton. Plankton are organisms drifting in the water column of oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. The name of zooplankton is derived from the Greek zoon , meaning "animal", and , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter"...
. They are often very aggressive over their eggs but are otherwise harmless.
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The
Indian triggerfish (
MelichthysMelichthys is a genus in the triggerfish family .- Species :*Melichthys indicus : Indian triggerfish*Melichthys niger : Black triggerfish*Melichthys vidua : Pinktail triggerfish...
indicus), also known as the black-finned triggerfish, has a brown body and black fins with white lines at the base of the
dorsalA dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs. Depending on the species, an animal can have up to three of them. Its main purpose is to stabilize the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns...
and anal fins. It is found in the
Indo-PacificThe Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...
oceans. They can grow up to .
The Indian triggerfish usually feed on hard-shelled mollusks and echinoderms but some feed on
algaeAlgae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms. The largest and most complex marine forms are called seaweeds. They are photosynthetic, like plants, and "simple" because they lack the many distinct organs found in...
and
zooplanktonZooplankton are the heterotrophic type of plankton. Plankton are organisms drifting in the water column of oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. The name of zooplankton is derived from the Greek zoon , meaning "animal", and , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter"...
. They are often very aggressive over their eggs but are otherwise harmless. Indian triggerfish are very easy to keep at home, Some are peaceful but some are very aggressive towards other fish.
These are not to be confused with their cousins, the Hawaiian
Black Triggerfish or
Black Durgon (
MelichthysMelichthys is a genus in the triggerfish family .- Species :*Melichthys indicus : Indian triggerfish*Melichthys niger : Black triggerfish*Melichthys vidua : Pinktail triggerfish...
niger), which are often mistaken as being Indian Triggerfish within the trade.