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)
- 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.
- 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.
- IUCN (2010) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 April 2010.
- 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.
- Constant, P. (2007) Marine Life of the Galapagos. The Diver's guide to Fishes, Whales, Dolphins and marine Invertebrates, 307 pp.
- IUCN (2023) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2022-2 Https://www.iucnredlist.org
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 27 June 2025.