Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Xanthichthys mento
cochito cola roja, cachudo cola roja, Red tailed triggerfish, redtail triggerfish
Gold body with dark outlines on scales; blue line markings on head below eyes; bluish sub-border on tail. Size: 16-20 cm
Habitat: Surface-feeding; open water above rocky reefs, boulder strewn slopes and along walls.
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Teleostei
Order
Tetraodontiformes
Family
Balistidae
Genus
Xanthichthys
Species
mento
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: Balistes mento Jordan & Gilbert, 1882, Xanthichthys gotonis Tanaka, 1918, Xanthichthys purus Tanaka, 1918, Xanthichthys surcatus de Buen, 1963, fide Appeltans et al. (2010)
Origin: Native
Distribution: Indo-Pacific; in the eastern Pacific from California to Ecuador including Galapagos, also Easter Island, Clipperton and Revillagigedos, Dispersed in pacific ocean. All the oceanic islands of the tropical eastern pacific, tip of baja, southeast gulf of california and gorgonia island (colombia)
- 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.
- Constant, P. (2007) Marine Life of the Galapagos. The Diver's guide to Fishes, Whales, Dolphins and marine Invertebrates, 307 pp.
- 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.
You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.
This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Xanthichthys mento", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7826. Accessed 31 October 2026.