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Orange-lined triggerfish

Balistapus undulatus

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth5–23 m
  • Water temperature24–30 °C
  • Best monthsMarch and April
  • How commonCommon
All species

Photo credit: (c) Derek Keats, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

About this species

The orange-lined triggerfish, also known as the orangestripe triggerfish, red-lined triggerfish, striped triggerfish or vermiculated triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. This species is the only species in the monospecific genus Balistapus, which is closely related to the genus Balistoides, if that genus is reclassified as a monospecific genus with the clown triggerfish as its only species. The orange-lined triggerfish has a wide Indo-Pacific range.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Orange-lined triggerfish”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

  • January: 406 records
  • February: 1,571 records
  • March: 2,059 records
  • April: 2,783 records
  • May: 1,344 records
  • June: 1,469 records
  • July: 1,026 records
  • August: 664 records
  • September: 737 records
  • October: 837 records
  • November: 505 records
  • December: 382 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 5–23 m · Deepest record: 475 m

  • 0–10 m: 2,578 records
  • 10–20 m: 4,215 records
  • 20–30 m: 2,224 records
  • 30–40 m: 26 records
  • 40–50 m: 26 records
  • 50–60 m: 8 records
  • 60–70 m: 1 records
  • 70–80 m: 0 records
  • 80–90 m: 0 records
  • 90–100 m: 2 records
  • 100–110 m: 0 records
  • 110+ m: 3 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 24–30 °C

  • 24–26 °C: 2 records
  • 26–28 °C: 100 records
  • 28–30 °C: 549 records

Names and classification

English
Orange-lined triggerfish, Orangestriped, Leubiem kunèng, orange-lined triggerfish, orangestriped, Orange-striped Triggerfish, Orangestriped Triggerfish, Orangestripe Triggerfish, redlined triggerfish, Red-lined Trigger-fish, Red-lined Triggerfish, Striped Trigger-fish, Striped Triggerfish, Striped Triggerfish, Orange-lined triggerfish, Undulated Triggerfish, Undulate triggerfish, Vermiculated Triggerfish
Names in 7 more languages
German
Orangestreifen-Drückerfisch
Spanish
Ballesta Picasso de Rayas Anaranjadas
Filipino
Pakoy, Papakol
French
Baliste ondulé, Baliste strié
Japanese
Kumadori, クマドリ
Thai
ปลาวัวลายส้ม, ปลาวัวหางเหลือง
Simplified Chinese
波紋鈎鱗魨, 波纹钩鳞鲀, 鉤板機魨, 黃帶砲彈

Other scientific names: Balistapus undulates, Balistes lineatus, Balistes minor, Balistes porcatus, Balistes sesquilineatus, Balistes undulatus, Balistopus undulatus

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

  • Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
  • Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
  • Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
  • 12,927 open-data records from 1797 to 2023.
  • Species data updated October 26, 2026.

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