Gilded Triggerfish

The gilded triggerfish can be found in the waters of the Indo-Pacific region, spanning from Eastern Africa in the western Indian Ocean to the Hawaiian islands longitudinally, and latitudinally from the Ryukyu Islands to New Caledonia. In particular, specimens have been found around the Maldive Islands, the Nicobar Islands, the islands of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands (first in 1978, at Kwajalein Atoll). Similar to most other triggerfish, this species can be located off of islands and reefs, but it may also venture out to more open waters. While the usual depth range is between 20–50 m, the glided triggerfish may be spotted anywhere between 8–161 m. This fish is typically found toward the deeper end of the usual range, with it being rarer to find in depths above 20 m. Despite its preference for deeper depths, scuba divers can frequently spot this fish at recreational diving depths.

Through examining the stomach contents of the gilded triggerfish, it was determined that their diet consisted exclusively of zooplankton, primarily calanoid copepods.