Black durgon
Melichthys niger
(Bloch, 1786)
Description:
A dark greenish-black triggerfish with purplish overtones. Pale blue lines run along the bases of the soft rear dorsal and anal fins (M. niger). Above the eye, the head may be blue, and below the eye orange or yellow (M. niger 2). Scales of the rear part of the body have prominent keels that form longitudinal ridges.
Size up to 50 cm.
Habitat:
Inhabits clear seaward reefs, more common around oceanic islands, down to 75 m. The diet consists primarily of calcareous algae and zooplankton, but also feeds on phytoplankton. Sometimes they even rise up to the surface to feed on drifting algae.
Distribution:
Common to occasional Florida, Bahamas and Caribbean.