Lunula Trigger

Rhinecanthus lunula. The Lunula Trigger is a very rare and colorful triggerfish. Lunula Triggers have a mostly tan body with a white belly and strong black stripe going through their eyes. Lunula Triggers also have a yellow half moon pattern before their tail, hence their nickname.

Lunula Triggers reach a maximum adult size of around 10 inches and need to be kept in tanks that are at least 125 gallons. Lunula Triggerfish are aggressive fish and should not be kept in smaller more docile fish and inverts. Lunula Triggers have been known to enjoy moving rocks around the tank as well. For these reasons, Lunula Triggerfish are not the best choice for reef tanks.

The Lunula Triggerfish is only found on deep reefs (10-30 meters) in the South Pacific, making it quite rare in the aquarium trade. R. lunula is named for the characteristic arcing line in its rear portions, which resembles a crescent moon (lunula translates from Latin as little moon). Like most triggerfishes, the Lunula is a hearty specie once acclimated to aquarium life and will benefit from heavy feedings of meaty foods (silversides, krill, etc), along with a prophylactic dose of praziquantel to control any internal worms. The species is robust and semi-aggressive, but, generally, not too obnoxious to tankmates.