Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Melichthys niger
cochito negro, pez puerco, Black durgon, Black triggerfish
May have bluish to greenish cast. Head may be blue above eyes, with orange or yellow below. Scales have pale diamond outline. Can change color, and pale or darken. Size: To about 36 cm
Habitat: Feeding near the surface, in aggregation exceeding 50 individuals
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Teleostei
Order
Tetraodontiformes
Family
Balistidae
Genus
Melichthys
Species
niger
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: Balistes fuscolineatus Seale, 1901, Balistes kib Montrouzier, 1857, Balistes kibitar Montrouzier, 1857, Balistes niger Bloch, 1786, Balistes piceus Poey, 1863, Balistes radula Solander, 1848, Balistes sillone Le Danois, 1961, Balistes verrucosus Gronow, 1854, Melichthys bispinosus Gilbert, 1890, Melichthys piceus (Poey, 1863), Melichthys radula (Solander, 1848), Melichthys ringens (Osbeck, 1765), fide Appeltans et al. (2010)
Origin: Native
Distribution: Circumtropical; in the eastern Pacific around offshore islands between Cabo San Lucas and Ecuador, including the Galapagos Islands; also known from Hawaii and Japan
- Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
- Banks, S. Vera, M. & Chiriboga, A. (2009) Establishing Reference Points to Assess Long-Term Change in Zooxanthellate Coral Communities of the Northern Galapagos Coral Reefs. J. Sci. Conserv. in the Galapagos Islands, p. 43-64.
- Constant, P. (2007) Marine Life of the Galapagos. The Diver's guide to Fishes, Whales, Dolphins and marine Invertebrates, 307 pp.
- Edgar, G.J. Fariña, J.M., Calvopiña, M., Martínez, C. & Banks, S. (2002) Comunidades submareales rocosas II: Peces y macroinvertebrados móviles. In: Danulat, E. & Edgar, G.J. (eds.) (2002): Reserva Marina de Galápagos. Línea Base de la Biodiversidad. Fundación Charles Darwin/Servicio Parque Nacional Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador, p. 68-97.
- Grove, J.S. Lavenberg, R.J. (1997) The Fishes of the Galapagos Islands. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. 862 pp.
- Humann, P. Deloach, N. (2003) Reef Fish Identification - Galapagos. New World Publication, Inc. Florida USA & Libri Mundi, Quito, Ecuador, 226 pp.
- IUCN (2010) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 April 2010.
- IUCN (2023) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2022-2 Https://www.iucnredlist.org
- McCosker, J.E. Rosenblatt, R.H. (2010) The fishes of the Galápagos Archipelago: an update. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sc., Ser. 4, vol. 61, Suppl. II, no. 11: 167-195.
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This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Melichthys niger", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7822. Accessed 3 November 2026.