Bursa triggerfish
Sufflamen bursa
Also known as Boomerang Triggerfish, Blackbelly Triggerfish, Scythe Triggerfish, Lei Triggerfish
SaltwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–79°F
- 22–26°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Adult size
- 9.8 in
- 25 cm
- Minimum tank
- 125 gal
- 473 L
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Own kind
- One per tank
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Common
- Reef safe
- Not reef safe
- Family
- Balistidae
- Origin
- Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to Hawaii and the Marquesas and Pitcairn islands, north to southern Japan
Overview
The Bursa triggerfish is smaller than most triggers but genuinely aggressive, especially toward smaller or slower fish. It is best with a little experience.
Did you know
The Bursa triggerfish's half white, half yellow face is split by a dark line, so it looks almost like a mask. With the large dark patch low on its body, it is one of the easier triggerfish to identify at a glance.
Caring for the Bursa triggerfish
Give a Bursa triggerfish a tank of at least 125 gal (473 L), with sturdy caves and secure rockwork. It is a determined digger and rearranger, and it retreats into a crevice at night or when threatened.
Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Feed a varied carnivore diet of squid, krill, clams and small fish. Include hard-shelled foods to keep its teeth worn down.
Keep only one per tank, since it does not get along with other triggerfish outside a very large system. Choose robust tank mates rather than anything timid. It is not venomous, but it bites and grunts audibly when it feels threatened.
The Bursa triggerfish is not reef safe. It readily eats crabs, snails, bivalves and other invertebrates.
Good to know
Sufflamen bursa is a triggerfish in the family Balistidae. Its large black belly patch gives it the alternate name blackbelly triggerfish, and it is also sold as the boomerang or scythe triggerfish. Like other triggerfish, it can lock its first dorsal spine upright, using a second, smaller spine as a catch. Wedged into a crevice this way, it is very difficult to remove by force.
In the wild
The Bursa triggerfish lives on reef flats and slopes across the Indo-Pacific, from the surface down to about 120 meters. It forages over rock, rubble and sand for crabs, mollusks and other invertebrates.
Common questions
What size tank does a Bursa triggerfish need?
A Bursa triggerfish needs at least 125 gal (473 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a Bursa triggerfish need?
A Bursa triggerfish is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
What does a Bursa triggerfish eat?
A Bursa triggerfish eats a varied carnivore diet of squid, krill, clams and small fish. It also needs hard-shelled foods to keep its teeth worn down.
How big does a Bursa triggerfish get?
An adult Bursa triggerfish reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).
Related species
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