English Name: Clown triggerfish
Family: BALISTIDAE
Local Name: Bis rondu
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Size: Max. 45 cm
Specimen: MRS/0344/89
Distinctive Characters: Dorsal fin with 3 spines and 24-26 rays. Anal fin with 2 1-23 rays. Pectoral fin with 14 rays. A deepgroove anterior to eye. Region around lips fully scaled. 3-4 rows of spines posteriorly on side of body. Caudal fin rounded, the corners acute.
Colour: Black with very large white spots on lower half of body. Yellow markings around mouth, on face and fins. A yellow reticulum anteriorly on back.
Habitat and Biology: Usually found on outer reef terraces with surge channels. Feeds on small
benthic animals.
Distribution: Indo-Pacific.
Remarks: Balistoides conspicillum is one of the most strikingly coloured of all reef fishes. In consequence it fetches a high price in the aquarium trade.