Balistidae

Fricke, Ronald, Allen, Gerald R., Andréfouët, Serge, Chen, Wei-Jen, Hamel, Mélanie A., Laboute, Pierre, Mana, Ralph, Hui, Tan Heok & Uyeno, Daisuke, 2014, Checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of Madang District, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean, with 820 new records, Zootaxa 3832 (1), pp. 1-247 : 192-194

Balistidae

Balistapus undulatus (Park, 1797) —Orange-lined triggerfish

STATUS AT MADANG. New record from Madang, based on specimens observed and photographed at St. CTR 0 5, CTR 0 7, CTR 0 8, CTR 0 9, CTR 11, CTR 14, CTR 15, CTR 16, CTR 17, CTR 19, CTR 22, CTR 27, CTR 30, CTR 31, CTR 32. AMS, ANSP, CAS, SU and WAM material (AMS IB.7116, I.16671-064, I.17080-020, I-17081- 0 12, I.17088-047, I.17089-012, I.17091-009, I.17505-002; ANSP 117115, 117155, 117157, 117165, 117167, 117168, CAS 65637, 65638, 65639, 65640, 65641, 65642, 65643, 65644, 65645, 65649, 65650; SU 28693; WAM P.29624-010).

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. Red Sea, East and South Africa, Madagascar and Mascarenes east to Line, Marquesas and Tuamotu islands, north to southern Japan and Ogasawara Islands, south to New Caledonia. Found in coral-rich areas of seaward reefs, 1– 50 m. Marine.

Balistoides conspicillum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) —Clown triggerfish ( Fig. 30 ) STATUS AT MADANG. New record from Madang, based on specimens photographed by P. Laboute at Tab Island on 27 Nov. 2012.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. East and South Africa, Seychelles and Mascarenes east to Samoa, north to southern Hokkaido ( Japan) and Ogasawara Islands, south to Lord Howe Island. Found in clear seaward coral and rocky reefs adjacent to steep dropoffs, 1– 75 m. Marine.

Balistoides viridescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) —Titan triggerfish

STATUS AT MADANG. New record from Madang, based on specimens observed and photographed at St. CTR 14, CTR 16B, CTR 31.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. Red Sea and East Africa, Madagascar and Mascarenes east to Wake Atoll and Pitcairn Group, north to southern Japan and Ogasawara Islands, south to New South Wales ( Australia) and Tonga. Found in lagoon and seaward reefs and sheltered inner coral and rocky reef slopes; juveniles often associated with isolated patches of branching coral or rubble of shallow sandy protected areas, including tidal pools; adults occur singly or in pairs on the slopes of deep lagoon or seaward reefs, 0– 50 m. Marine.

Canthidermis maculata (Bloch, 1786) —Oceanic triggerfish

STATUS AT MADANG. New record from Madang, based on KFRS and WAM material (WAM P.30617-007); previously reported as Canthidermis rotundatus (non Marion de Procé, 1822) by Kailola (1975: 246). DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. Worldwide in tropical and temperate oceans. Epipelagic in coastal and offshore waters, 1– 110 m. Marine.

Melichthys vidua (Solander in Richardson, 1844) —Pinktail triggerfish

STATUS AT MADANG. New record from Madang, based on specimens photographed at St. CTR 16. AMS and ANSP material (AMS I.17088-048; ANSP 117156).

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. East and South Africa east to Hawaiian, Line, Marquesas and Gambier islands, north to southern Japan and Ogasawara Islands, south to northern Australia, New Caledonia and Tonga. Found in seaward coral reefs with rich invertebrate growth, 4– 60 m. Marine.

Odonus niger (Rüppell, 1836) —Redtooth triggerfish

STATUS AT MADANG. New record from Madang, based on specimens observed and photographed at St. CTR 13, CTR 24.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. Red Sea, East and South Africa, Madagascar and western Mascarenes east to Marquesas and Society islands, north to southern Japan and Ogasawara Islands, south to northern Australia, New Caledonia and Tonga. Found in current-swept seaward coral and rocky reefs, 5– 40 m. Marine.

Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus (Rüppell, 1829) —Yellowmargin triggerfish

STATUS AT MADANG. New record from Madang, based on specimens photographed at St. CTR 33. DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. Red Sea, East and South Africa, Madagascar and western Mascarenes east to Marshall and Tuamotu islands, north to southern Japan and Ogasawara Islands, south to northern Australia and New Caledonia. Found in coastal to inner coral and rocky reefs and estuaries, often in silty habitats, 2– 50 m. Transitional water and marine.

Pseudobalistes fuscus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) —Bluestriped triggerfish

STATUS AT MADANG. New record from Madang, based on specimens photographed at St. CTR 13. DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. Red Sea, East and South Africa, Madagascar and Mascarenes east to Marshall and Tuamotu islands, north to southern Japan and Ogasawara Islands, south to northern Australia and New Caledonia. Found in clear shallow lagoons and seaward coral and rocky reefs; sandy areas near reef patches of reef edge are preferred, 5– 50 m. Marine.

Rhinecanthus rectangulus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) —Wedgetail triggerfish

STATUS AT MADANG. First record from Madang as Balistapus rectangulus by Herre (1933: 12). Specimens photographed at St. CTR 22.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. Red Sea and East Africa, Madagascar and Mascarenes east to Pitcairn Group, north to Izu and Ogasawara islands, south to Lord Howe and Kermadec islands. Found in algal reefs and shallow outer coral reefs subject to surge, 0– 20 m. Marine.

Rhinecanthus verrucosus (Linnaeus, 1758) —Blackpatch triggerfish

STATUS AT MADANG. New record from Madang, based on specimens observed and photographed at St. CTR 0 3, CTR 0 6, CTR 14, CTR 17.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. Seychelles and Chagos Archipelago east to western Caroline Islands and Vanuatu, north to southern Japan, south to northern Australia and New Caledonia. Found in sheltered areas of mixed coral and rubble, or in seagrass habitats, 1– 20 m. Marine.

Sufflamen bursa (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) —Scythe triggerfish, boomerang triggerfish STATUS AT MADANG. New record from Madang, based on specimens observed and photographed at St. CTR 13, CTR 19, CTR 28.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. East and South Africa, Seychelles and Mascarenes east to Wake Atoll and Pitcairn Group, north to southern Japan and Ogasawara Islands, south to northern Australia, New Caledonia and Rapa. Found in clear inner and outer coral and rocky reef habitats from exposed algae reef flats to deep along dropoffs, 3– 90 m. Marine.

Sufflamen chrysopterum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) —Flagtail triggerfish, halfmoon triggerfish STATUS AT MADANG. New record from Madang, based on specimens observed and photographed at St. CTR 0 4, CTR 32.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. East and South Africa, Madagascar and Mascarenes east to Samoa, north to southern Japan and Ogasawara Islands, south to Lord Howe Island. Found in coastal to seaward coral and rocky reefs, from silty lagoons to pristine outer reef walls, 1– 30 m. Marine.

Sufflamen fraenatum (Latreille, 1804) —Bridled triggerfish

STATUS AT MADANG. New record from Madang, based on WAM material (WAM P.306230-022). DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. Red Sea, East and South Africa and Mascarenes east to Hawaiian Islands and Pitcairn Group, north to southern Japan and Ogasawara Islands, south to Lord Howe and Norfolk islands. Found on coastal coral and rocky reefs, often in silty habitats and in lagoons on open sand, 8– 186 m. Marine.

Xanthichthys auromarginatus (Bennett, 1832) —Gilded triggerfish

STATUS AT MADANG. New record from Madang, based on specimens photographed by A. Berberian. DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. Mascarenes and Chagos Archipelago east to Hawaiian Islands, north to Ryukyu Islands, south to southern Australia and New Caledonia. Found in current-swept seaward drop-offs and ledges with rich invertebrate growth, 8– 150 m. Marine.

Figures

FIGURE 30. Balistoides conspicillum (Balistidae), Madang Lagoon, Tab Island, St. PR 113, P. Laboute, 27 Nov. 2012.