TankBud

Clown triggerfish

Balistoides conspicillum

Also known as Bigspotted Triggerfish, Yellow-blotched Triggerfish, Clown Trigger

SaltwaterFish

Clown triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum)
Amada44 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
19.7 in
50 cm
Minimum tank
300 gal
1,135 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Own kind
One per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Substrate spawner
Rarity
Rare
Reef safe
Not reef safe
Family
Balistidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to Samoa, north to southern Japan, south to New Caledonia

Overview

The clown triggerfish is one of the largest and most recognizable triggerfish in the hobby. It needs a very large marine tank and suits experienced keepers.

Did you know

A juvenile clown triggerfish is mostly black, with small, crowded white spots, and barely resembles the adult. Over a year or more, it shifts to the adult's bold, widely spaced white polka dots and yellow-netted back.

Caring for the clown triggerfish

Give a clown triggerfish at least 300 gal (1,135 L), enough room for a genuine territory. Secure heavy rockwork well enough to withstand a fish that will rearrange it. It bites hard and has been known to chip acrylic panels and scratch glass, so tank material and equipment placement matter.

Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Offer a varied diet of squid, krill, clams, crab and other meaty foods. Include hard-shelled items to keep its continuously growing teeth in check.

Small juveniles are relatively docile, but they grow steadily more territorial and aggressive past about 20 cm. A full-grown adult is one of the most aggressive fish commonly kept. Choose large, robust tank mates such as groupers or big angelfish, and keep only one per tank. It is not venomous, but keep your hands well clear of an adult's territory.

The clown triggerfish is not reef safe in any sense. It eats crustaceans, mollusks and sea urchins and will treat a reef tank's cleanup crew as a menu.

A breeding pair digs a nest in sand or rubble. The female fans and blows bubbles over the eggs to keep them oxygenated, and both parents guard the nest for about a week.

Good to know

Balistoides conspicillum is a triggerfish in the family Balistidae. Adults carry a bold white band across the mouth, which gives the species its name, conspicillum, Latin for spectacles. The trade also knows it as the bigspotted or yellow-blotched triggerfish.

In the wild

The clown triggerfish lives along the inner and outer edges of coral reefs across the Indo-Pacific, usually from about 1 to 75 meters deep. It stays wherever shellfish and other invertebrates are abundant. Juveniles hide in caves and crevices, while adults range more widely to forage.

Common questions

What size tank does a clown triggerfish need?

A clown triggerfish needs at least 300 gal (1,135 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a clown triggerfish need?

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

What does a clown triggerfish eat?

A clown triggerfish eats squid, krill, clams, crab and other meaty foods. Give it hard-shelled items too, to keep its continuously growing teeth in check.

How big does a clown triggerfish get?

An adult clown triggerfish reaches about 19.7 in (50 cm).

How does a clown triggerfish breed?

Clown triggerfish pairs dig a nest in sand or rubble. The female fans the eggs and blows bubbles over them to keep them oxygenated, and both parents guard the nest for about a week.

Related species