Fish
Wedgetail Triggerfish
Rhinecanthus rectangulus
A boldly patterned reef triggerfish of KZN's surge zones, marked by a black wedge across the tail base.
Also known as reef triggerfish, triggerfish(patchy), wedge-tail triggerfish
- Typical size
- Commonly 20-28 cm
- Habitat
- Shallow coral and rocky reef flats
- Depth
- Surface to about 20 m
The wedgetail triggerfish is a compact, laterally flattened reef fish with striking markings: a dark band through the eye, bold diagonal lines on the flank and a black wedge or chevron across the rear of the body. Like all triggerfish it can lock its first dorsal spine upright, wedging itself into crevices when threatened.
Around South Africa it lives on the warm coral and rocky reefs of KwaZulu-Natal, favouring shallow surge-swept reef flats and gullies where it crunches through hard-shelled invertebrates with its strong teeth and beaklike mouth. It is pugnacious and inquisitive; divers should give nesting fish space, as triggerfish can be territorial when guarding eggs.