For some reason, it seems like the aberrant triggerfish that come to our attention are almost always undulated triggerfish, but today it’s the pink-tail trigger’s turn to break the rules. Coming to us from Son’s Aquarium Fish Trading in the Philippines, this unusual pink-tail trigger seems to have received an extra dose of yellow pigment, especially in its fins.
The pink-tail triggerfish, Melichthys vidua, is a very common fish that is commonly seen in the wild and in aquariums. The degree of pink color to the tail can vary from very pink, to mostly white, but this specimen is well outside that range.
With a bright orange tail that is flanked by vivid yellow dorsal and anal fins, we did a double take and double-checked the known species before assigning this fish to the pink-tail trigger identification. It’s not hugely surprising that the over-expression of xanthic pigment would turn this fish’s fins bright yellow and orange, but it’s interesting that the rest of the body is mostly unchanged.
While not outwardly striking in photos, we have no doubt that this fish is probably a huge attention grabber in real life. The rapid undulation of its bright yellow dorsal and anal fins would certainly be a nice show in any aquarium, and that bright orange tail surely accentuates this fish’s unique appearance.
