Black Triggerfish

About

The flagtail triggerfish (Sufflamen chrysopterum) is a solid entry point into keeping triggers without the white-knuckle temperament that comes with some of its relatives. Found across a wide sweep of the Indo-Pacific, from the eastern coast of Africa through northern Australia and out to Samoa, and north as far as southern Japan, it turns up in everything from silty, sheltered lagoons to clean outer reef walls, which tells you something about its adaptability. In the wild it's a solitary, territorial animal that roams the reef picking off invertebrates, so any snails, shrimp, or crabs sharing the tank are firmly on the menu. The species gets its common name from the pale or yellowish coloring on the tail, and adults can reach close to a foot in length, so this is not a fish for compact systems. Despite needing a genuinely large aquarium, it's considered accessible for newer saltwater keepers because of its hardiness and willingness to accept a range of prepared foods. Like all triggers it can rearrange rockwork and will defend its territory, but compared to more aggressive family members it tends to be manageable in a fish-only or FOWLR setup with similarly sized, confident tankmates.