Species Profile

Niger Triggerfish

Odonus niger

Also known as: Red-Toothed Triggerfish

Triggerfishsemi-aggressive

Adult size

18″

Minimum tank

180 gal

Temperature

72–82°F

8.1–8.4

Schooling

Solitary OK

Water level

mid

Grows from juvenile

Typically sold at ~4″ and reaches 18″ over ~2 years. Plan tank size for the adult, not the fish at purchase.

Diet

Frozen mysis, krill, clams, squid, marine pellets

Notes

The reef-friendly outlier among triggers — feeds on zooplankton in the wild rather than crushing inverts. Generally safe with large reef tankmates. Iridescent blue-green body with teal teeth. Can be kept with larger fish but harasses smaller ones.

Build a tank →Photo credits

Photo: Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons · Source · CC-BY-SA-4.0