Xanthichthys auromarginatus – The Blue Throat Trigger
If you walk into any Local Fish Store worth its salt and ask “what triggerfish should I get” you might get a variety of answers, but the Blue Throat Trigger will be on the list. If you ask “what triggerfish should I get for my reef tank?" The Blue Throat Trigger will be on the top of that list. And this is true for a few reasons. Xanthichthys genus fish are all very hardy and generally subsist on planktonic foods suspended in the water column. This explains why their mouth is so oddly placed, but it also means they aren't going to bother your corals. They will, however, munch on your hermit crabs and snails. Many aquarists report that feeding them a lot will prevent this, but this cannot be counted on. We have seen some very chubby triggers extract hermits from their shells.
Xanthichthys auromaginatus is usually called the Blue Chin Trigger, or the Gilded Trigger, or some combination of both. It is only the aquarium hobby that calls it a Blue Throat Trigger. It is a common fish throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, and has a massive range from the east coast of Africa to the west coast of the Americas! Throughout most of this range they are fished for food by subsistence fishermen. The are a deeper water fish, generally found below 75 feet deep, in areas of good current and rich invertebrate life, coral or otherwise; Blue Throats are frequently founds in loose groups wherever these conditions are prevalent.
Most triggerfish are very hardy, and the Blue Throats are no exception. They are easy to keep, and frequently very engaging with their owners. They like to be well fed, and greedily take prepared foods in short order. They will do best on a mix of meaty foods and a high quality, nutrient dense pellet. Interestingly, we have found that they also like Nutramar dried algae, both Nori and Ogo.
They stay relatively small as far as triggerfish go, but hobbyists interested in keeping these triggers should be prepared to have a tank at least 125 gallons at grow out as these fish regularly attain eight inches in captivity. The record is just under a foot long. They can be bullied by very aggressive fish when first added, and will frequently spend a lot of time using their trigger to “lock” themselves in the rocks when they are first acclimated. Most of the time, they will not even notice other fish in the tank and are a good candidate for a community tank as long as other fish can keep up with the eating.
Blue Throat Triggers are among the aquarium hobby's best fish for keeping, reef or otherwise. They are rarely affected by ailments that are common in aquariums, they don't get over large, they have brilliant colors and personality and the most unique body shape and swimming style. Give them lots of live rock, frequent meals and you'll enjoy their company for many years.
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