Redtail triggerfish (Xanthichthys mento)

Scientific name: Xanthichthys mento Jordan & Gilbert, 1882

The Redtail triggerfish (Xanthichthys mento) is a marine fish of the family Balistidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 29-32; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 26 - 29. Males are straw-yellow with each scale outlined in black creating a crosshatched appearance, and a red tail with neon submarginal blue band. Females are also crosshatched, but with a slate gray to blue ground color and tail.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Xanthichthys mento
Family: Balistidae (Triggerfishes)
Order: Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and Filefishes)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 29.0
Depth range: 3–100 m (10–328 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; depth range 3 - 100 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Western Pacific: southern Japan and the Ryukyu, Izu, Marcus, Wake and Hawaiian islands. Eastern Pacific: southern California, USA and the Pitcairn, Easter, Revillagigedo, Clipperton, and the Galapagos islands.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Aquarium: commercial
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Fec=32,000 (from an egg cluster))