Hairfin triggerfish

Q: Can you eat Hairfin triggerfish?

A triggerfish species with edible white flesh; rarely targeted commercially. Firm, mild meat when prepared by local Indo-Pacific fishermen; skin and organs require careful removal.

Q: How big does Hairfin triggerfish get?

Hairfin triggerfish can grow up to 32.5 cm long and weigh 1.38 kg.

Q: Where is Hairfin triggerfish found?

Eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific, from the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal south to northwestern Australia and east to the Philippines. Found on sandy and muddy coastal shelf areas at 20–100 m depth. Shallow marine coastal waters and lagoons of the Indo-Pacific over sandy and rubble-covered substrates at 10-100m depth. Found from East Africa to the western Pacific Ocean.

Q: What family does Hairfin triggerfish belong to?

Hairfin triggerfish (Abalistes filamentosus) belongs to the family Balistidae (Triggerfishes) in the order Tetraodontiformes (Pufferfish and allies).

Abstract

Filamentous extensions trailing from the dorsal and caudal fins account for the name of Abalistes filamentosus, a triggerfish reaching 32.5 cm and 1.38 kg. Pale tan to brownish skin carries a faint reticulation of darker lines over a whitish belly, with translucent to pale fins edged in dusky margins. It occupies sandy and muddy coastal shelf ground of the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific, from the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal south to northwestern Australia and east to the Philippines, at depths of roughly 61 to 180 metres, feeding on benthic invertebrates. The firm white flesh is edible but rarely targeted commercially. Family Balistidae, order Tetraodontiformes.