information on clown trigger fish

[Vitaluxa]

I got a question for ya, just got a Clown Trigger Fish and I'm wondering, why does he change colors so often, I mean, it's like non-stop. I've heard mixed things about it, one person said it's a sign of stress, but another said he's just camouflaging, no big deal. So, do they really camouflage, and if so, why? Is it something I should be worried about? His habits are still the same, seems as healthy as can be.

[Fluxora9]

Well, in the wild, they camouflage from predators, that's obvious. But if your Clown Trigger Fish is in a tank and there's a big, creepy human - aka you - pressed up to the glass staring at him, he could be stressed and trying to camouflage if you're watching him too much. If you're so close that he thinks you're a threat, you could be stressing him out. I know you're worried, but you could be the root of the cause. Try giving him some space. If he's new, this could probably be it since he could have just come from the "wild." Maybe give your LFS a call and ask if he's wild-caught or tank-bred - they might know. If he isn't tank-bred, then he's stressed. Constant camouflage, as it sounds like you're describing, seems to point to stress. Or maybe his camouflage is broken - who knows?

[zenoxa]

Given his wild-caught background, I'd expect more overt signs of stress if that were the case - think spine flaring, a defensive or aggressive posture, and possibly even those clicking noises, in addition to the colour changes.