Pinktail Triggerfish Breeding Guide

Melichthys vidua is a planktivorous Indo-Pacific triggerfish that builds nests and guards eggs in the wild. It is not bred in home aquaria, only documented in nature.

Overview

The pinktail triggerfish or pinktail durgon (Melichthys vidua) is an Indo-Pacific reef fish ranging from East Africa to the Pacific coast of Panama and north to southern Japan, on shallow coral reefs, and growing up to about 40 cm. It is among the more peaceful triggerfish and is largely planktivorous, also grazing microalgae. Home breeding is not established; the following describes documented wild reproduction.

Sexing

The source does not describe reliable external sexual dimorphism for this species. Reproductive roles are instead defined behaviourally during nesting, with males defending the nest territory.

Conditioning

No home conditioning protocol is documented. The species is primarily a planktivore that also consumes microalgae; unusually for a triggerfish it tends to avoid hard-shelled invertebrates.

Spawning Behaviour & Trigger

Males construct nests, typically in sand or rocky reef crevices. During spawning both the male and the female rub their abdomens on the bottom of the nest to release and fertilise the eggs.

Egg & Fry Care

The female keeps the eggs in constant motion to oxygenate them while the male defends the surrounding territory against predators, though this species is less aggressive than other triggerfish. After hatching the young move to better-protected reef areas. The open-water dispersal of the young is the stage that prevents hobbyist rearing.

Common Challenges

Despite building and guarding nests, this species is not bred in home aquaria. Its large adult size, territorial nesting and the post-hatch dispersal of young make captive reproduction impractical. Note that the related egg-following behaviour (the species can be ovivorous, consuming the eggs of other spawning fish) further complicates any community setting.