Please Identify this Triggerfish?

[sffrenchman]

Could not find it in Hawaiian Reef Fishes by John P. Hoover.

Photo taken in Kona in May 09. The male was protecting the nest attended by the female.

Thanks.

 

[diversteve]

My guesses:

1. Queen
2. Blue
3. Niger with a shortened bottom fin

 

[ToPpS]

It's a tough one to call:
The best match that I could find is the Finescale triggerfish
Occurs in rocky reefs, boulder strewn slopes and adjacent areas of sand.

Other options are:
Blue or rippled triggerfish
Redtoothed Triggerfish

 

[marinediva]

I think we call it a Paddlefin Trigger in Aust. Large adults green and yellow below and dusky above, smaller individuals brownish grey and whitish caudal fin.

 

[wve]

Could not find it in Hawaiian Reef Fishes by John P. Hoover.

Photo taken in Kona in May 09. The male was protecting the nest attended by the female.

Thanks.

I'm not sure; I don't have a Hawaii fish book. However, I had a similar problem identifying a Caribbean triggerfish a couple of weeks ago. I finally figured out that I was seeing the fish in one of its various phases which looked very little like the mature adult.

Your picture doesn't match what I saw exactly, but it does look like it might be in a transition phase of some sort.

 

[donnyb]

Finescale Trigger (Balistes polylepis) is correct.
It is rare here.

 

[diversteve]

t's a tough one to call:
The best match that I could find is the Finescale triggerfish
Occurs in rocky reefs, boulder strewn slopes and adjacent areas of sand.

Finescale Trigger (Balistes polylepis) is correct.
It is rare here.

Definitely, here's one shot in Kona last year:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~lsander/kona_08/kona08-Images/6.jpg

 

[Thalassamania]

Balistes polylepis is not thought to occur in Hawaii. It's normal range is Subtropical (colder water) Eastern Pacific: San Francisco, California, USA to Callao, Peru, including the Galapagos Islands. The expert in the field is Keiichi Matsuura of the Fish Section, Department of Zoology, National Science Museum of Japan. Contact him at: matsuura@kahaku.go.jp I'm sure that he'd be interested.

 

[sffrenchman]

Thanks all.

 

[Rick Murchison]

... (you name it) is not thought to occur in (you name it)...

Happens all the time
Rick