Melichthys niger
Black triggerfish | Black Durgon | Black Oldwife | Ebony Triggerfish
Similar Species
Same Genus
Distribution
Tropical Atlantic/Caribbean, Tropical Eastern Pacific, Tropical Indo-Pacific
Description
Oval-shaped black body, with white stripes along base of dorsal and anal fins. Similar M. indicus (Indian Triggerfish), has thick strips on fins and blue trim on tail fin. Sometimes occurs in large groups near the surface feeding on plankton. Swims by flapping dorsal and anal fins.
Information
Max Size: 50 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 24.1-30.6°C
Depth: 0-75m
Habitat Generalization Index: 17.19
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Not Evaluated
Occurrence: Frequent (11.5% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Many (15 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Joe Shields