Black durgon

Care at a glance

Overview

Give a black durgon a tank of at least 470 litres with open swimming space and some rock, at 24 to 27 C and pH 8.0 to 8.4. It is calmer than most triggers but can still nip ornamental shrimp and small inverts, so it is reef-safe only with caution. It generally leaves corals alone. Feed a mix of meaty foods and marine algae or nori, as it grazes as well as hunts. It is an active, hungry swimmer that appreciates strong flow.

In the wild

The black durgon looks plain dark from a distance but up close it glows with blue-green scales and pale lines along the fin bases. It is one of the more peaceful triggerfish and spends its time cruising the open water rather than hiding in rock. On the reef it feeds high in the water column on drifting plankton and algae.

Good to know

Melichthys niger reaches around 40 cm and, unlike most triggers, is largely a mid-water planktivore, which makes it one of the more reef-tolerant members of the family. Its dark body reflects an iridescent blue-green sheen in good light. Like all triggers it can lock its dorsal spine upright to wedge into a crevice at night.

Did you know

Though it looks jet black, the durgon is covered in iridescent blue and green scales that only flash into view when the light catches it at the right angle.

Related species

• 

  Pinktail Triggerfish

  Melichthys vidua

  15.7 in (40 cm)180 gal (680 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Crosshatch triggerfish

  Xanthichthys mento

  11.8 in (30 cm)106 gal (400 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)

• 

  Niger Triggerfish

  Odonus niger

  11.8 in (30 cm)180 gal (680 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Bluethroat Triggerfish

  Xanthichthys auromarginatus

  9.1 in (23 cm)125 gal (473 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Clown Triggerfish

  Balistoides conspicillum

  19.7 in (50 cm)300 gal (1,135 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Queen triggerfish

  Balistes vetula

  19.7 in (50 cm)238 gal (900 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)