---
title: "Wedgetail Triggerfish"
description: "Rhinecanthus rectangulus — Fish. The reef triggerfish (Rhinecanthus rectangulus), also known as the rectangular triggerfish, wedgetail triggerfish or by its Hawaiian name humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa (pronounced [ˈhumuˈhumuˈnukuˈnukuˈwaːpuˈwɐʔə], meaning 'triggerfish with a snout like a pig', also spelled humuhumunukunukuapua'a or just humuhumu for short), is one of several species of triggerfish."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/wedgetail-triggerfish
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Wedgetail Triggerfish

> Rhinecanthus rectangulus — Fish. The reef triggerfish (Rhinecanthus rectangulus), also known as the rectangular triggerfish, wedgetail triggerfish or by its Hawaiian name humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa (pronounced [ˈhumuˈhumuˈnukuˈnukuˈwaːpuˈwɐʔə], meaning 'triggerfish with a snout like a pig', also spelled humuhumunukunukuapua'a or just humuhumu for short), is one of several species of triggerfish.

- Scientific name: *Rhinecanthus rectangulus*
- Category: `fish` (Fish)
- Habitats: `sea` (Sea & coast)
- iNaturalist observations: 2754
- Wikidata: [Q669512](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q669512)
- iNaturalist taxon: [52449](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/52449)

## Names

- en: Wedgetail Triggerfish
- de: Diamant-Picassodrückerfisch
- es: Ballesta Picasso de antifaz
- fr: Baliste Picasso à bandeau
- pt: Cangulo-havaiano

## Countries with the most observations

US (2141), AU (98), MV (31), PF (26), ZA (24), TW (23), GU (22), JP (22), CX (20), CK (19), LK (19), SC (19)

## Summary

The reef triggerfish (Rhinecanthus rectangulus), also known as the rectangular triggerfish, wedgetail triggerfish or by its Hawaiian name humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa (pronounced [ˈhumuˈhumuˈnukuˈnukuˈwaːpuˈwɐʔə], meaning 'triggerfish with a snout like a pig', also spelled humuhumunukunukuapua'a or just humuhumu for short), is one of several species of triggerfish. It is found in coral reefs in the entirety of the Western Pacific Ocean from North to South and Eastern Central Pacific. It is also found in the Indian Ocean from East to West and the Southeast Atlantic Ocean. It exists in 0 to 50 meters in depth.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reef_triggerfish

## Photo

![Wedgetail Triggerfish](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/wedgetail-triggerfish/medium.jpg)

Photo: Thompson Hyggen · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/341188826

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/wedgetail-triggerfish?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).