Reef triggerfish
| Reef triggerfish | |
|---|---|
_Humuhumu_Nukunuku_Apua%27a.jpeg?lang=simple)
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| 1852 illustration from the fishes of Hawaii | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | Balistidae |
| Genus: | Rhinecanthus |
| Species: | R. rectangulus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Rhinecanthus rectangulus (Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801)
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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
[change | change source]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
[change | change source]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
[change | change source]- ↑ 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.
