Family Balistidae - Triggerfishes
  Order
:
Balistidae Balistidae
  Class
:
Teleostei
No. in FishBase
:
Genera : 12 | Species : 42 Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes
  Environment
:
Fresh : No | Brackish : Yes | Marine : Yes
  Division
:
Marine
  Aquarium
:
many
  First Fossil Record
:
middle   Tertiary   middle   Oligocene
Ref..   Berg, L.S. 1958
  Remark
:
Distribution: Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Habitat: shallow waters, mainly on coral reefs around the world, usually from just below the sea surface to 50 m depth. Morphology: body deep and moderately compressed; body, encased in very thick, tough skin with large scales easily seen as individual units; in many species, scales above pectoral-fin base are enlarged, forming a flexible tympanum; mouth small and terminal or almost terminal; teeth strong, 8 in the outer series of both jaws; gill opening is a moderately short, vertical to oblique slit in front of pectoral-fin base; dorsal fins 2, D1 III with second spine more than 1/2 length of first spine and the first spine capable of being locked in an erect position by second spine; second dorsal and anal fins are similar in shape; most dorsal-, anal-, and pectoral-fin rays are branched; pelvic fins rudimentary, represented by a series of four pairs of enlarged scales encasing posterior end of pelvis (Ref. 97685). Triggerfish normally swim by undulating their second dorsal and anal fins, but will use their tail for rapid bursts. Most triggerfishes are solitary diurnal carnivores, feeding on a wide variety of invertebrates including hard-shelled mollusks and echinoderms; some also feed on algae or zooplankton. They lay demersal eggs in a nest which is aggressively guarded by the female, less often by the male. Popular and hardy in aquaria, but often aggressive (Ref. 7463).
  Etymology
:
Greek, balein = to throw ( Ref. 45335).
  Reproductive guild
:
guarders
  Typical activity level
:
normal
  Main Ref.
:
  Coordinator
:
  Deep Fin Classification
:
Osteichthyes | Actinopterygii | Actinopteri | Neopterygii | Teleostei | Osteoglossocephalai | Clupeocephala | Euteleosteomorpha | Neoteleostei | Eurypterygia | Ctenosquamata | Acanthomorphata | Acanthopterygii | Percomorphaceae | Eupercaria | | | Tetraodontiformes | Balistoidei | | Balistidae

Show species images | Show valid names | Nominal species list | Identification keys | CAS specimen photos | References

 
Ref.
[ e.g. 9948]
Glossary
[ e.g. cephalopods]


Species/Synonymy list for the family Balistidae as currently in FishBase

Important recommendation:

The list below must not be used as an authority reference synonymy list like those found in scientific published revisions, which must be the source to be used and cited eventually when they exist.

Rather, it reflects the current content of FishBase, and the progress with respect to synchronization with the Catalog of Fishes. However, we think it can be useful for users to assess the quality of information in FishBase, to start new work on the family, or to cross-check with other lists.

But we appreciate to be cited in publications when this list has been of any working value. In particular, for published scientific, we suggest then to cite it in the Material and Method section as a useful tool to conduct the research, but again, not as a taxonomic or nomenclatural authority reference.

Unless it is explicitly precised, the list is not complete, please search all original names published for the family in the Catalog of Fishes (genera, species), including those with uncertain or unknown status, that are not included in FishBase when they are not attached to a valid species.

This list uses some data from Catalog of Fishes (not shown but used to sort names).

The list ordered as follows:

Please send comments and corrections if you detect errors or missing names.

Show all | Show only accepted name | Show only accepted and original names
Scientifc name Status Senior/Junior synonym Combination
Balistes vetula Linnaeus, 1758
acceptedseniororiginal
Balistes bellus Walbaum, 1792
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes pellucidus Hermann, 1804
ambiguousjuniororiginal
Balistes equestris Gronow, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes vetula trinitatis Nichols & Murphy, 1914
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes capriscus Gmelin, 1789
acceptedseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
! Balistes caroliniensis Gmelin, 1789
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes forcipatus Gmelin, 1789
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniornew
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes capriscus Walbaum, 1792
ambiguoushomonymoriginal
Balistes buniva Lacepède, 1803
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes caprinus Valenciennes, 1839
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
ambiguoushomonymoriginal
Balistes capriscus Gronow, 1854
ambiguoushomonymoriginal
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes punctatus Gmelin, 1789
acceptedseniororiginal
! Balsistes punctatus Gmelin, 1789
synonymseniororiginal
Balistes guttatus Walbaum, 1792
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes ciliaris Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes radiata Bowdich, 1825
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes dichrostigma Duméril, 1861
ambiguousotheroriginal
Balistes liberiensis Steindachner, 1867
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes forcipatus (non Gmelin, 1789)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
Balistes polylepis Steindachner, 1876
acceptedseniororiginal
Pseudobalistes polylepis (Steindachner, 1876)
synonymseniornew
Verrunculus polylepis (Steindachner, 1876)
synonymseniornew
synonymjuniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
! Balistapus undulates (Park, 1797)
synonymseniornew
! Balistopus undulatus (Park, 1797)
synonymseniornew
Balistes aculeatus minor Forsskål, 1775
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes minor Forsskål, 1775
synonymjuniorchange in rank
Balistes lineatus Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes porcatus Gronow, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes sesquilineatus Lay & Bennett, 1939
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistoides viridescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes viridescens Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymseniororiginal
Pseudobalistes viridescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
! Balistapus viridescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
! Balistoides veridescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
Balistes brasiliensis Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniornew
Balistoides conspicillum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes conspicillum Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymseniororiginal
! Balistapus conspicillum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
! Balistoides conspicillium (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
Balistes niger Bonaterre, 1788
ambiguousjuniororiginal
Balistoides niger (Bonaterre, 1788)
synonymjuniornew
Canthidermis maculata (Bloch, 1786)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes minimum Thiollière, 1857
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes maculatus Bloch, 1786
synonymseniororiginal
! Canthidermis maculatus (Bloch, 1786)
synonymseniornew
Balistes americanus Gmelin, 1789
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes macropterus Walbaum, 1792
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes angulosus Quoy & Gaimard, 1824
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes azureus Lesson, 1831
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes adspersus Tschudi, 1846
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes senticosus Richardson, 1848
synonymjuniororiginal
Canthidermis senticosus (Richardson, 1848)
synonymjuniornew
Balistes longus Gronow, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes rufus Gronow, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes brevissimus Hollard, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes longissimus Hollard, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes munumum Montrouzier, 1857
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes um Montrouzier, 1857
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Canthidermis viola Herre, 1926
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Canthidermis sufflamen (Mitchill, 1815)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes sufflamen Mitchill, 1815
synonymseniororiginal
Balistes macrops Poey, 1860
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes sobaco Poey, 1860
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Canthidermis rotundatus (Marion de Procé, 1822)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes rotundatus Marion de Procé, 1822
synonymseniororiginal
Canthidermis willughbeii (Lay & Bennett, 1839)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes willughbeii Lay & Bennett, 1839
synonymseniororiginal
Canthidermis maculatus (non Bloch, 1786)
misappliedmisappliednew
Canthidermis macrolepis (Boulenger, 1888)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes macrolepis Boulenger, 1888
synonymseniororiginal
ambiguousquestionableoriginal
Canthidermis villosus Fedoryako, 1979
synonymjuniororiginal
Melichthys niger (Bloch, 1786)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes niger Bloch, 1786
synonymseniororiginal
! Melicthys niger (Bloch, 1786)
synonymseniornew
Balistes ringens Osbeck, 1765
synonymotheroriginal
Melichthys ringens (Osbeck, 1765)
synonymothernew
Balistes radula Solander, 1848
synonymjuniororiginal
Melichthys radula (Solander, 1848)
synonymjuniornew
! Melicthys radula (Solander, 1848)
synonymjuniornew
Balistes verrucosus Gronow, 1854
ambiguousotheroriginal
Balistes kib Montrouzier, 1857
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes kibitar Montrouzier, 1857
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes piceus Poey, 1863
synonymjuniororiginal
Melichthys piceus (Poey, 1863)
synonymjuniornew
Melichthys bispinosus Gilbert, 1890
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes sillone Le Danois, 1961
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes buniva (non Lacepède, 1803)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
Melichthys buniva (non Lacepède, 1803)
misappliedmisappliedmisapplied
Melichthys vidua (Richardson, 1845)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes vidua Richardson, 1845
synonymseniororiginal
! Melichthys vidula (Richardson, 1845)
synonymseniornew
Pachynathus nycteris Jordan & Evermann, 1903
synonymjuniororiginal
Melichthys nycteris (Jordan & Evermann, 1903)
synonymjuniornew
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes erythropterus (Fowler, 1946)
synonymjuniornew
synonymjuniororiginal
Melichthys indicus Randall & Klausewitz, 1973
acceptedseniororiginal
! Melichtys indicus Randall & Klausewitz, 1973
synonymseniororiginal
Melichthys ringens (non Osbeck, 1765)
misappliedmisappliednew
Rhinecanthus aculeatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes aculeatus Linnaeus, 1758
synonymseniororiginal
Balistapus aculeatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
synonymseniornew
synonymseniornew
! Rhineacanthus aculeatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
synonymseniornew
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Monacanthus cheverti Alleyne & Macleay, 1877
synonymjuniororiginal
Rhinecanthus verrucosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes verrucosus Linnaeus, 1758
synonymseniororiginal
! Balistes verrucosa Linnaeus, 1758
synonymseniororiginal
! Rhineacanthus verrucosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
synonymseniornew
! Rhinecanthus verrucasus (Linnaeus, 1758)
synonymseniornew
! Rhinecanthus verrucosa (Linnaeus, 1758)
synonymseniornew
! Rhinecanthus verrucosuss (Linnaeus, 1758)
synonymseniornew
Rhinecanthus assasi (Fabricius, 1775)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes assasi Fabricius, 1775
synonymseniororiginal
! Rhinecanthus assai (Fabricius, 1775)
synonymseniornew
! Rhinecanthus assasia (Fabricius, 1775)
synonymseniornew
Rhinecanthus cinereus (Bonnaterre, 1788)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes cinereus Bonnaterre, 1788
synonymseniororiginal
Rhinecanthus rectangulus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes rectangulus Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymseniororiginal
Balistapus rectangulus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
! Rhinecanthus rectangulatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
! Rhinecanthus retangulus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
Balistes echarpe Anonymous [Lacepède], 1798
synonymotheroriginal
Rhinecanthus echarpe (Anonymous [Lacepède], 1798)
synonymothernew
Rhinecanthus lunula Randall & Steene, 1983
acceptedseniororiginal
Rhinecanthus abyssus Matsuura & Shiobara, 1989
acceptedseniororiginal
Odonus niger (Rüppell, 1836)
acceptedseniornew
Xenodon niger Rüppell, 1836
synonymseniororiginal
Balistes erythrodon Günther, 1870
synonymjuniororiginal
Odonus erythrodon (Günther, 1870)
synonymjuniornew
Xanthichthys ringens (Linnaeus, 1758)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes ringens Linnaeus, 1758
synonymseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes nitidus Gronow, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes notatus Gronow, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes elongatus Hollard, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes heckelii Müller, 1865
synonymjuniororiginal
! Balistes heckeli Müller, 1865
synonymjuniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
! Xanthicthys auromarginatus (Bennett, 1832)
synonymseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
Xanthichthys lima (Bennett, 1832)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes lima Bennett, 1832
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
Xanthichthys ringens (non Linnaeus, 1758)
misappliedmisappliednew
Xanthichthys mento (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes mento Jordan & Gilbert, 1882
synonymseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Xanthichthys purus Tanaka, 1918
synonymjuniororiginal
Xanthichthys surcatus de Buen, 1963
synonymjuniororiginal
Xanthichthys caeruleolineatus Randall, Matsuura & Zama, 1978
acceptedseniororiginal
! Xanthichthys caeuleolineatus Randall, Matsuura & Zama, 1978
synonymseniororiginal
! Xanthichthys careuleolineatus Randall, Matsuura & Zama, 1978
synonymseniororiginal
Xenobalistes punctatus Heemstra & Smith, 1983
synonymjuniororiginal
Xanthichthys greenei Pyle & Earle, 2013
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
synonymseniornew
Pseudobalistes fuscus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes fuscus Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymseniororiginal
Balistes caerulescens Rüppell, 1829
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes rivulatus Rüppell, 1837
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes reticulatus Holland, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal
Pseudobalistes naufragium (Jordan & Starks, 1895)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes naufragium Jordan & Starks, 1895
synonymseniororiginal
Abalistes stellatus (Anonymous, 1798)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes stellatus Anonymous, 1798
synonymseniororiginal
Balistes stellaris Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymseniororiginal
Abalistes stellaris (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
! Abalistes stellairs (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
Balistes vachellii Richardson, 1845
synonymjuniororiginal
Balistes phaleratus Richardson, 1846
synonymjuniororiginal
Abalistes filamentosus Matsuura & Yoshino, 2004
acceptedseniororiginal
Abalistes stellatus (non Anonymous, 1798)
misappliedmisappliednew
Abalistes stellaris (non Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
misappliedmisappliednew
Sufflamen fraenatum (Latreille, 1804)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes fraenatus Latreille, 1804
synonymseniororiginal
Sufflamen fraenatus (Latreille, 1804)
synonymseniornew
! Sufflamen freanatus (Latreille, 1804)
synonymseniornew
! Sufflamen frenatus (Latreille, 1804)
synonymseniornew
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniornew
Sufflamen bursa (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes bursa Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymseniororiginal
Hemibalistes bursa (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
Sufflamen chrysopterum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes chrysopterus Bloch & Schneider, 1801
synonymseniororiginal
Hemibalistes chrysopterus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
Sufflamen chrysopterus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
! Hemibalistes chrysoptera (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
! Sufflamen chrysoptera (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
synonymseniornew
Sufflamen albicaudatum (Rüppell, 1829)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes albicaudatus Rüppell, 1829
synonymseniororiginal
Sufflamen albicaudatus (Rüppell, 1829)
synonymseniornew
! Sufflamen albicaudus (Rüppell, 1829)
synonymseniornew
Sufflamen verres (Gilbert & Starks, 1904)
acceptedseniornew
Balistes verres Gilbert & Starks, 1904
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
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