Reef fish

Reef triggerfish

Rhinecanthus rectangulus

Shallow reef flats, rubble, and wave-exposed reef edges

Find locations for this species ↓

Photo: Qyd · CC BY 2.5 · Source and license. Displayed as a resized crop. Photograph illustrates the species.

Habitat: Shallow reef flats, rubble, and wave-exposed reef edges
Typical viewing depth: 1–15 m
Viewing activities: Snorkeling · Scuba diving

Field context

Reef habitats; the Hawaii Reefs field guide lists 3–30 ft (roughly 1–9 m).

Observing responsibly

Known in Hawaiʻi as humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa. Keep space around nesting fish.

When to look

The available records do not establish a reliable local viewing season. Use the map’s month filter to inspect dated observations; it does not predict an encounter.

RECORDED PRESENCE

Where has Reef triggerfish been recorded?

These destination links use the same area and date cutoff as the map: 40 km circles, except for the four named regional rectangles. Checked 2026-09-19. Counts describe source records, not individual animals or sighting odds.

Great Barrier ReefQueensland, Australia40 km radius · 1 source records since 2016About this destination →HawaiʻiHawaiʻi, United StatesRegional rectangle · 1747 source records since 2016About this destination →Kona CoastHawaiʻi, United States40 km radius · 269 source records since 2016About this destination →MauiHawaiʻi, United States40 km radius · 244 source records since 2016About this destination →OkinawaJapan40 km radius · 3 source records since 2016About this destination →Similan IslandsThailand40 km radius · 8 source records since 2016About this destination →

Sources, search boundaries and limitations