Starry Triggerfish (species: Abalistes stellatus) in Frankland Island Group, QLD (Gaia Guide)
Frankland Island Group, QLD > Animalia > Chordata > Actinopterygii > Tetraodontiformes > Balistidae > Abalistes > Abalistes stellatus (gallery)
Abalistes stellatus
Starry Triggerfish


©Anne: Abalistes stellatus at Watson's Bay, Lizard Island.

©Anne: Abalistes stellatus at the lagoon bommie, Lizard Island

©Hannah Hermon: Abalistes stellatus caught near Low Wooded Island, south of Lizard Island. This individual lacks the white patches on the back that are normally seen in this species, perhaps due to stress.

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Tetraodontiformes
Family Balistidae
Genus Abalistes
Species Abalistes stellatus

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Colours

                   

Distinguishing features

Distinguishing features still need to be specified.

Size

  • Up to 60 cm (Total Length)

Depth range

  • From 7 m to 350 m

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution: Starry Triggerfish (Abalistes stellatus)

Distribution and habitat preferences

Inhabits mud and silt sand bottoms. Adults on deep coastal slopes and usually seen swimming high above the bottom, sometimes found in estuaries. Juveniles in sheltered coastal bays and estuaries with outcrops of rubble or debris on open substrates (FishBase).

Local abundance

  • Lizard Island: Uncommon

Web resources

References

  • Bray, R.A., T.H. Cribb and J.-L. Justine (2009). New observations on the genus Hypocreadium Ozaki (Digenea: Lepocreadiidae) in the Indo-West Pacific region, including the description of one new species, Zootaxa, 2110: 22-40. LIRS catalog number 1224.
  • Tang, D., D. Uyeno and K. Nagasawa (2011). Parasitic copepods of the family Taeniacanthidae (Crustacea) from triggerfishes (Teleostei, Balistidae) and filefishes (Teleostei, Monacanthidae) collected in the Indo-West Pacific region with descriptions of two new species of Taeniacanthus Sumpf, 1871. Zootaxa, 3103: 33-56. LIRS catalog number 1473.