finescale triggerfish
Balistes polylepis
Triggerfish of rocky reefs of the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Chile, reaching 76 cm. It is harmless to anglers and is commercially caught.
Also called: peixe-porco-de-escama-fina, pez puerco, finescale triggerfish
- maximum
- 76 cm
- depth
- 3–60 m
who is the finescale triggerfish
Triggerfish of the family Balistidae, with a deep, compressed body, thick skin and large plate-like scales, which are clearly visible. It lives on rocky reefs, stone slopes and nearby sandy areas, from Mexico to Chile and the Galápagos. It reaches 76 cm total length, and its common size is 50 cm. Adults stay near the bottom, while juveniles are pelagic. It feeds on sea urchins, small crustaceans and mollusks. It is caught commercially, and for anglers who use rods it is an occasional catch on reefs.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the finescale triggerfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Deep, compressed body, with thick skin and large plate-like scales, typical of triggerfishes. Despite its popular name, which speaks of fine scales, the plates are clearly visible to the naked eye. The mouth is small, with eight strong, protruding teeth in each jaw, and the snout is surrounded by scales. The Xanthichthys mento, from the same coast, is much smaller, up to 30 cm, and males have a red tail.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Occurs in the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Chile, including the Galápagos Islands, on rocky reefs and nearby sandy areas.
Habitat: Rocky reefs and stone slopes with sand nearby, 3 to 60 m deep.
rules for the finescale triggerfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Harmless to anglers, but the teeth are strong: hold it by the body, carefully, and release it quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0302, b = 2.8; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Balistes polylepis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Balistes polylepisNames by country and language.
