Reef triggerfish

하와이트리거피시

A triggerfish of Indo-Pacific reefs, known in Hawaii as humuhumunukunukuapua'a, the state fish. It has a black wedge on the flank and bright diagonal lines, and grows to about 30 cm. It can make grunting sounds when disturbed.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Class: Fish
Lives in: Big Island of Hawaii
Diet: Eats both plants and meat (omnivore)
Length: about 0.3 m
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN LC)
Habitat: coral reefs

Quick answers

Where does the Reef triggerfish live?

It lives in coral reefs of the Pacific and Indian oceans. On the globe you can find it near Big Island of Hawaii.

How big is the Reef triggerfish?

It grows to about 0.3 m.

What does the Reef triggerfish eat?

Its diet: eats both plants and meat (omnivore).

Is the Reef triggerfish endangered?

It is listed as Least Concern (IUCN LC).

The reef triggerfish is a colourful fish of coral reefs with a large snout and blue lips. Its back and front are orange-brown, its belly is white, and a black wedge and bright diagonal lines mark the sides. In Hawaii it is known by a very long name, humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa, which means triggerfish with a snout like a pig.

This fish lives in the western Pacific, the Indian Ocean, the central eastern Pacific and the south-eastern Atlantic, at depths between 0 and 50 metres. It grows to about 25 to 30 centimetres long. It scrapes algae off rocks with strong teeth and also eats small animals such as crustaceans, so it is an omnivore. It is the state fish of Hawaii, and the globe places it off the Big Island.

Why trigger?

Triggerfish have a spine on their back that can be locked upright by a small second spine, like a trigger. When the fish squeezes into a crevice to hide, the locked spine wedges it in place, making it hard for a predator to pull it out. The reef triggerfish is easily confused with its two closest relatives, the lagoon triggerfish and the picasso triggerfish.

A noisy fish

The reef triggerfish makes at least four kinds of sounds: grinding, drumming, grunting and snapping. Grinding is heard when it eats and may tell other triggerfish that the territory is taken. Drumming is made by flapping the pelvic fins against a membrane next to the swim bladder, which acts like a drum, and the rate goes up when predators are near. Its grunts sound like a pig, a name echoed by its Hawaiian one.

Fun facts

Its Hawaiian name, humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa, is famously long, and it is Hawaii's state fish.
Its Hawaiian name is one of the longest fish names: humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa.
It makes grinding, drumming, grunting and snapping sounds.
It is the state fish of Hawaii.