
Orange-lined triggerfish
Balistapus undulatus
- Usual depth5–23 m
- Water temperature24–30 °C
- Best monthsMarch and April
- How commonCommon
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
Loading the map
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
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 24–30 °C
Photos

(c) Derek Keats, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) cello caruso-turiello, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Daniel Benák, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Jay Brasher, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Donald Davesne, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist 
(c) Tom Heijnen, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
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
Flat-tailed Trigger-fishAbalistes stellatus
Rough triggerfishCanthidermis maculata
Black TriggerfishSufflamen chrysopterum
- Black durgon
Melichthys niger
- Pinktail triggerfish
Melichthys vidua
- Wedge-tail triggerfish
Rhinecanthus rectangulus
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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