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Blue-Throat Triggerfish
Triggerfish

Blue-Throat Triggerfish

Xanthichthys auromarginatus

The blue-throat is the trigger you can actually put in a reef. It feeds on zooplankton a few metres above the rock rather than crushing shells, and that one fact is why it leaves coral alone where its relatives do not. Males carry the blue chin and yellow fin margins; females are plainer, and the difference is clear enough that one male can be kept with several females. It is the mildest member of a famously difficult family — but it grows to a hand-span and will still pick off ornamental shrimp, feather dusters and urchins as it matures.

Temperament
Semi-aggressive
Max size
9.1"
Min tank
130 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe
Diet
Planktivore
Zone
Mid-water, Open water
Keep one male with several females in a large tank.
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Tankmates

How Blue-Throat Triggerfish gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Snowflake MoraySnowflake Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Blue-Throat Triggerfish.Zebra MorayZebra Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Blue-Throat Triggerfish.Chainlink MorayChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Blue-Throat Triggerfish.Blue-Leg Hermit CrabBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Blue-Leg Hermit Crab is on the menu.Trochus SnailBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Trochus Snail is on the menu.Astrea SnailBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Astrea Snail is on the menu.Cerith SnailBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Cerith Snail is on the menu.Nassarius SnailBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Nassarius Snail is on the menu.Nerite SnailBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Nerite Snail is on the menu.Mexican Turbo SnailBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Mexican Turbo Snail is on the menu.Bumble Bee SnailBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Bumble Bee Snail is on the menu.Scarlet Reef Hermit CrabBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab is on the menu.Zebra Hermit CrabBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Zebra Hermit Crab is on the menu.Halloween Hermit CrabBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Halloween Hermit Crab is on the menu.Emerald CrabBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Emerald Crab is on the menu.Sally Lightfoot CrabBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Sally Lightfoot Crab is on the menu.Skunk Cleaner ShrimpBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts ornamental shrimp — your Skunk Cleaner Shrimp is on the menu.Fire ShrimpBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts ornamental shrimp — your Fire Shrimp is on the menu.Peppermint ShrimpBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts ornamental shrimp — your Peppermint Shrimp is on the menu.Coral Banded ShrimpBlue-Throat Triggerfish hunts ornamental shrimp — your Coral Banded Shrimp is on the menu.

Keep an eye on these

Usually fine, but worth watching in a smaller tank.

Maroon ClownfishBlue-Throat Triggerfish and Maroon Clownfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Blue DamselBlue-Throat Triggerfish and Blue Damsel both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Yellowtail DamselBlue-Throat Triggerfish and Yellowtail Damsel both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Flame AngelfishBlue-Throat Triggerfish and Flame Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Coral Beauty AngelfishBlue-Throat Triggerfish and Coral Beauty Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Lemonpeel AngelfishBlue-Throat Triggerfish and Lemonpeel Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Bicolor AngelfishBlue-Throat Triggerfish and Bicolor Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Red Saddleback ClownfishBlue-Throat Triggerfish and Red Saddleback Clownfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Yellow TangBlue-Throat Triggerfish and Yellow Tang both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Helfrich's FirefishBlue-Throat Triggerfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Helfrich's Firefish and may harass it.Red Sea ClownfishBlue-Throat Triggerfish and Red Sea Clownfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Yasha GobyBlue-Throat Triggerfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yasha Goby and may harass it.Tailspot BlennyBlue-Throat Triggerfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Tailspot Blenny and may harass it.Sailfin TangBlue-Throat Triggerfish and Sailfin Tang both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Purple TangBlue-Throat Triggerfish and Purple Tang both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Powder Blue TangBlue-Throat Triggerfish and Powder Blue Tang both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Matted FilefishBlue-Throat Triggerfish and Matted Filefish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Orchid DottybackBlue-Throat Triggerfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Orchid Dottyback and may harass it.Mandarin DragonetBlue-Throat Triggerfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Mandarin Dragonet and may harass it.Yellow Clown GobyBlue-Throat Triggerfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Yellow Clown Goby and may harass it.