Fish Facts

The Orange-lined Triggerfish, Orange-striped Triggerfish or Undulated Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) is a triggerfish of the tropical Indo-Pacific area. It is the only member of the genus Balistapus. They reach a maximum size of about 30 cm. They feed on coral, crabs and invertebrates. They are found up to around 50 m deep in tropical waters.

In the Aquarium

Balistapus undulatus is a hardy member of a saltwater aquarium. It however has a reputation as one of the meanest fish in the aquarium trade. Sometimes young individuals will accept tank-mates but an owner should expect this fish to kill most fish and invertebrates that share its aquarium. Serious consideration should therefore be made for keeping this fish alone. The minimum tank size to keep a small fish alone is 50 gallons. It is a slow growing fish, but as it gets older it will likely need a larger aquarium.

Orange-lined Triggerfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Tetraodontiformes
Family:	Balistidae
Genus:	Balistapus Tilesius, 1820
Species:	B. undulatus
Binomial name
Balistapus undulatus (Park, 1797)