Clown Triggerfish

Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC

Clown triggerfish — among the most visually striking reef fish anywhere — are conspicuous on Funafuti's outer reef, their bold black, white, and orange patterns serving as aposematic warnings of their fierce territorial aggression. They use powerful incisor-like teeth to tackle hard-shelled prey including sea urchins, molluscs, and crustaceans, and their foraging excavates the reef surface in ways that create microhabitat for dozens of smaller invertebrate species.