Picasso Triggerfish Care Guide

The Complete Picasso Triggerfish Care Guide

Picasso Triggerfish are beautiful fish covered in distinctive colors and shapes. They are very active, too, which makes them an even more attractive option for an aquarium.

These fish are quite territorial though, which might put off some beginner aquarists.

Luckily, Picasso Triggerfish are one of the easier triggerfish species to care for; there are ways to manage their aggression.

We will cover everything you need to know about Picasso Triggerfish in this app.

The Picasso Triggerfish is scientifically known as Rhinecanthus aculeatus. It has many other names though, such as The Lagoon Triggerfish and The Blackbar Triggerfish.

In Hawaii, the species is known as Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa (or Humu Humu for short), meaning “triggerfish with a nose like a pig”. This name is shared with the Hawaiian state fish – The Rectangular Triggerfish.

The Picasso Triggerfish is a member of the Balistidae family, which encompasses all triggerfish (about 40 species).

These saltwater fish are found in the Indo-Pacific, primarily Hawaii, Polynesia, and the Philippines. Here it lives on shallow reef habitats, using rocks and corals as shelter.

These are fairly expensive fish, but their price can vary quite a bit. They could cost up to $125, so make sure you are getting a healthy individual by watching it for a while before purchasing.

A healthy Picasso Triggerfish will live for about 10 years.

~Typical Behavior~

Compared to other triggerfish, these are one of the easier species to deal with in terms of aggression.

They will be territorial and aggressive, but you can control this by providing lots of space and hiding places. Tank mate choice is also important.

They will eat invertebrates, so this species is not reef safe.

Be careful putting your hands into the tank because Picasso Triggerfish could bite you too. They often try to fend off divers in their natural habitat.

They are active during the day and will occupy all levels of the water column.

They may move things around in your tank a little if decorations aren’t secured down in the substrate.

Another thing to be aware of is noise. If you listen carefully, you may hear your triggerfish grunting. They do this to communicate, usually aggressively.