Abalistes
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Starry Triggerfish
Balistes Phaleratus (syn. Abalistes stellaris) from John Lort Stokes 1846 Discoveries in Australia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Tetraodontiformes Suborder: Tetraodontoidei Family: Balistidae Genus: Abalistes Species: A. stellatus
Binomial name
Abalistes stellatus Bloch & Schneider, 1801

The starry triggerfish (Abalistes stellaris), or flat-tailed triggerfish, or chicken fish, is a tropical, harmless, oviparous bottom dweller, characterized by some white spots along the spinal dark band. The tail is dorsoventral and looks very thin, when looked upon in profile. There is a deep groove in front of the eye. The background colour is grey with olivegreen spots. It is the only species in the genus Abalistes.

Length

Male adult up to 60 cm

Habitat

• Indo-West Pacific up to the Red Sea and East Africa.
• mud, silty sand bottoms, coral reefs.

Diet

Benthic animals such as crustaceans, crabs, mollusks; bony fish.

Status

Not in the IUCN Red List.

Economic use

• in aquariums
• food fish (fresh or dried-salted).

External links

• Fishbase