TankBud

Bluethroat triggerfish

Xanthichthys auromarginatus

Also known as Gilded Triggerfish, Bluechin Triggerfish, Blue Jaw Triggerfish

SaltwaterFish

Bluethroat triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus)
Francois Libert · CC BY-SA 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
9.1 in
23 cm
Minimum tank
125 gal
473 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Own kind
One male per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Balistidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific, from Mauritius to northern Australia and the Hawaiian and Society islands, north to southern Japan

Overview

The bluethroat triggerfish is generally regarded as the calmest, most reef-tolerant triggerfish commonly kept. It is easy to keep in a large marine tank.

Did you know

Male and female bluethroat triggerfish look so different that they were once mistaken for two separate species.

Caring for the bluethroat triggerfish

Give a bluethroat triggerfish a tank of at least 125 gal (473 L), with open swimming space and stable rock structure to rest against. Like other triggers, it can rearrange rockwork and will grunt audibly when stressed or excited. It is not venomous and rarely causes trouble.

Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Feed a varied meaty diet of mysis, brine shrimp, chopped seafood and something hard-shelled for its teeth. Offer it a couple of times a day.

This trigger is a natural planktivore rather than a shell-crushing predator. It gets along with a wider range of tank mates than most of its relatives. It is still not a safe bet around ornamental shrimp, which a larger one may eventually pick off. Weigh that risk in a reef heavy with invertebrates.

Keep one male, either alone or with several females introduced together, an unusual arrangement for a trigger. Males have a deep blue chin patch and yellow-edged fins. Females lack both and stay comparatively plain.

Good to know

Xanthichthys auromarginatus is a triggerfish in the family Balistidae. It is grayish brown and dotted with pale blue spots. The trade also calls it the gilded, bluechin or blue jaw triggerfish.

In the wild

The bluethroat triggerfish lives well offshore on deep reef slopes across the Indo-Pacific, typically between about 24 and 147 meters. That is much deeper than most reef fish kept in aquariums. It forms loose groups near the bottom, hovering to pick copepods and other zooplankton out of the current.

Common questions

What size tank does a bluethroat triggerfish need?

A bluethroat triggerfish needs at least 125 gal (473 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a bluethroat triggerfish need?

A bluethroat triggerfish is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a bluethroat triggerfish eat?

A bluethroat triggerfish eats a varied meaty diet of mysis, brine shrimp and chopped seafood, offered a couple of times a day. Add something hard-shelled for its teeth.

How big does a bluethroat triggerfish get?

An adult bluethroat triggerfish reaches about 9.1 in (23 cm).

How can you tell a male bluethroat triggerfish from a female?

Males have a deep blue chin patch and fins edged in yellow. Females lack both features and look comparatively plain.

Related species