Clown Triggerfish

The Clown Triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum), also known as the big spotted triggerfish, is a demersal marine fish belonging to the family Balistidae, commonly called triggerfish. The Indian Ocean's tropical and subtropical seas as well as the western Pacific Ocean have a large population of clown triggerfish. It is most frequently located in areas with clear water up to a depth of 75 m along exterior reef slopes. Juveniles typically remain below 20 m in a protected area near caves or overhangs.

A fish called a clown triggerfish can reach a length of 50 cm. Its body is oval in shape, compressed laterally, and appears stocky. Black is the color of the background. Large, more-or-less rounded white dots cover half of the body's inferior region. Yellowish sinuosities that run over the area around the first dorsal fin form a network that resembles the leopard's patterns. The mouth has a yellowish ring around it that is encircled by a second, white fin ring. Just below the level of the eyes, a white line rides the nose. The anal fin and second dorsal fin are white with a yellow line extending from the base of each fin. The caudal peduncle bears three horizontal rows of spiky scales with a yellowish splotch on top. The caudal fin has a black border and a yellowish center. Small white patches dot the black backdrop of juveniles, who also have a yellowish base to their first dorsal fin and snout extremity.