Reef triggerfish
| Reef triggerfish | |
|---|---|
| |
| Adult in Hanauma Bay, Hawaii | |
| |
| Rhinecanthus rectangulus, X-ray image | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | Balistidae |
| Genus: | Rhinecanthus |
| Species: | R. rectangulus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Rhinecanthus rectangulus (Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801)
| |
The reef triggerfish (Rhinecanthus rectangulus) is one of several species of triggerfish. It is also known as the rectangular triggerfish, wedgetail triggerfish,[1] or by its Hawaiian name humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa (pronounced [ˈhumuˈhumuˈnukuˈnukuˈwaːpuˈwɐʔə], meaning 'triggerfish with a snout like a pig'[2]). The reef triggerfish is found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific[3] and is the state fish of Hawaii.
Description[change | change source]
The teeth and top lip are blue and the teeth are set close together inside its plump mouth. It has a laterally compressed body.
It has a small second dorsal spine which is used to lock its main spine into an upright position. This locking helps protect it from predators.
State fish[change | change source]
The reef triggerfish was designated the official fish of Hawaii in 1985, but due to an expiration of a state law after five years, it ceased to be the state fish in 1990. However, in On April 17, 2006, the triggerfish became the state fish of Hawaii once again.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "Wedgetail Triggerfish - Rhinecanthus rectangulus - Triggerfishes - Reef Triggerfish - Hawaii Reefs". reefguide.org. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
- ↑ humuhumunukunukuapua'a. humuhumunukunukuapua'a. (n.d.) American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. (2011). Accessed on The Free Dictionary. Retrieved on 2015-05-18.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2005). "Rhinecanthus rectangulus" in FishBase. December 2005 version.
