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
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

This is generally regarded as the calmest, most reef-tolerant triggerfish commonly kept, since it is a natural planktivore rather than a shell-crushing predator, and it gets along with a wider range of tankmates than most of its relatives. It still is not a safe bet around ornamental shrimp, which a larger Bluethroat may eventually pick off, so weigh that risk in an invertebrate-heavy reef. Feed a varied meaty diet of mysis, brine, chopped seafood, and something hard-shelled for its teeth, offered a couple of times a day. It is not venomous and rarely causes trouble, though like other triggers it can rearrange rockwork and will grunt audibly when stressed or excited.

In the wild

Lives well offshore on deep reef slopes across the Indo-Pacific, typically between about 24 and 147 meters, 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. In the tank it wants open swimming space plus stable rock structure to rest against.

Good to know

Xanthichthys auromarginatus is a triggerfish in the family Balistidae, growing to roughly 23 cm, grayish brown and dotted with pale blue spots with each fin trimmed in yellow. The species is sexually dimorphic: males develop the deep blue chin patch that gives the fish its common name along with yellow-edged fins, while females lack both features and stay comparatively plain. It can be kept as a single male with several females introduced together, an unusual arrangement for a trigger.

Did you know

Males and females look different enough that they were once mistaken for two separate species, since only the male carries the namesake blue throat patch and yellow-trimmed fins.

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.

How big does a Bluethroat triggerfish get?

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

Related species