Picasso Triggerfish

About

The Blackbar Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus) is one of the more recognizable triggers in the hobby, dressed in a mosaic of tan, white, and black with a broad diagonal bar running across its midsection and a vivid pattern of lines near the tail. In the wild it ranges across an enormous stretch of the Indo-Pacific, from the coast of East Africa all the way to Hawaii and the Tuamotu Islands, where it inhabits shallow lagoons and subtidal reef flats. Juveniles tend to hide among rubble, but adults move around openly in their territory, even if they can be wary of disturbances. Two quirky behaviors set this fish apart: it will tilt onto its side to sleep, and when startled or handled it produces an audible whirring sound. In the aquarium it lives up to its reputation as a feisty character. Not the most dangerous trigger out there, but firmly on the assertive side of the spectrum. It will rearrange rockwork while hunting for food, so any aquascape needs to be stable and well-anchored. Corals and invertebrates are fair game given its varied wild diet of mollusks, crustaceans, urchins, and more, so a fish-only setup suits it best. Keepers with some marine experience will find it manageable and genuinely engaging to watch.