Triggerfish Species
Updated September 23, 2018
Author: Mike - FishLore Admin
Social Media: 
Saltwater triggerfish are some of the most sought after fish species by hobbyists because many of them have remarkable colors and markings and they often have interesting personalities. Many triggerfish can be quite territorial and are usually not recommended for reef tank setups. Some will have no issue at all with rearranging your tank decorations or live rock to their liking and they well even take a bite out of your inverts.
Use caution when stocking a triggerfish! Many trigger species need specific tank setups, like a larger and more aggressive species tank setup with other fish species that can hold their own.
The Blue Throat Triggerfish is often recommended as a good first introduction to keeping triggers because they are considered one of the least aggressive of the triggers. Reef tank keepers many times have no issues at all with keeping Blue Throat Triggers in their tanks. The saying that each fish is different definitely comes to mind though... again use caution.
Most triggers get quite large so plan on having a bigger tank set up when researching the trigger you're interested in keeping. They are quite fun to keep.
Triggerfish
Blue Throat Triggerfish
The Blue Throat Triggerfish is considered to be one of the least aggressive of the triggers and that is one of the reasons for their popularity in the aquarium trade.
Clown Triggerfish
The Clown Triggerfish can be very territorial and it's gets worse the older and bigger they get. They are pretty much not afraid of anything it seems once they reach around 5 or 6 inches in size. When they are smaller they may be a bit more reclusive and will appreciate having hiding spots and places to lock into at night with their dorsal fins.
Niger Triggerfish
The Niger triggerfish can get to be over 12 inches (30 cm) with some of the biggest being found in the ocean up to 18 inches (46 cm)! Given their potential adult size not many home aquariums are big enough to keep them in groups. Even keeping just one though you need at least a 180 gallon fish tank.
Picasso Triggerfish
This is an amazing looking triggerfish and this triggerfish is one of the more easy going of the trigger fishes but it can still become dangerous in a tank full of smaller aquarium fish and invertebrates.
Pink Tail Triggerfish
The Pink Tail Trigger is just like other triggers when it comes to modifying the rock work to their liking. Keep this in mind if you have any loose fitting rocks to prevent damage to your fish tank, corals and fish.