Triggerfish - Starry
Also known as:
Starry filefish
Flat nailed trigger fish
leatherjacket
Common Group Name:
Triggerfish
Family Name:
Balistidae
Genus Name:
Abalistes
Species Name:
Abalistes stellatus
Dispatch Method:
Beware of the strong, sharp dorsal spine of trigger fish when handling them. The eating qualities of these fish can be greatly improved if they are killed humanely by iki jime or a firm knock to the head before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding.
Fish Description:
- Greenish-brown dorsally becoming white below with brownish-yellow spots many of which join into a reticulated pattern.
- Some fish may have three large oval white spots along the back, and a broad white streak on the side behind the top of the gill opening.
Fish Distribution:
- This species is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region from the Red Sea and East Africa to Southeast Asia, north to Japan and south to northern Australia. Occasionally encountered in the eastern Atlantic and south west coast of Africa.
- Adults inhabit muddy and silty-sand bottoms on deep slopes to depths of around 100 meters.
- Juveniles often occur in sheltered coastal bays around open areas with rubble outcrops.
Fish Size Common Length:
Common between 30 and 40 cm, maximum size around 60 cm.
For assistance with identifying fishes, see fishesofaustralia.net.au. For information on size and bag limits, check out the website of your State Fisheries Department.
We thank fishesofaustralia.net.au and Australia's various Fisheries Departments for some of the thumbnail images used to assist with fish identification on this website and its applications, as licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia. Thanks also to Michigan State University and Georgia Aquarium for generous donation of xrays of some US fish species.
