Description:

Dorsal spines: 3; Dorsal rays: 27-31; Anal spines: 0; Anal rays: 24-28.

Females are brown to yellowish-grey with a bright yellow bar on the lower lip; males have a yellow stripe (white in photo above is post mortem colour) from the upper 
lip almost to the pectoral-fin base and a band under chin. Juveniles have a uniform sandy brown colour.

Maturity: Lm unknown. Range unknown. Max Length: 38cm TL.

Inhabits sandy, silty and rubble areas around rocky and coral reefs (depth 8-200m) and over sand and rubble patches on seaward facing reefs. Juveniles are common 
among seaweed. Feeds on a range of benthic fishes, echinoids, molluscs, tunicates, crustaceans, algae, polychaete worms, foraminifera and detritus. Displays 
territoriality especially during breeding season.
 

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is caught in both the trap and hand line fisheries, and is, along with Abalistes stellatus, 
the most commonly caught triggerfish in the artisanal fishery. 
 

Bray, D.J. (2018). Sufflamen fraenatum in Fishes of Australia, http://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/774 (06/11/18). 
Froese, R. & D. Pauly. Eds. (2018). Fishbase. https://www.fishbase.de/summary/Sufflamen-fraenatum (05/11/18).
Matsuura, K. & Fricke, R. (2010). Sufflamen fraenatum (errata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List 2010: http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T154721A4617775.en. (05/11/18).
McGrouther, M. (2013). Bridled Triggerfish, Sufflamen fraenatum. Australian Museum. https://australianmuseum.net.au/bridled-triggerfish-sufflamen-fraenatum (05/11/18).
Smith, M. & Heemstra, P. Eds. (1999). Smiths’ Sea Fishes Edition 6. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 10.1007/978-3-642-82858-4

Nevill, J.E.G. (2019). Sufflamen fraenatum, Bridled triggerfish. Seychelles Seatizens. www.seatizens.sc. https://seatizens.sc/species/sufflamen-fraenatum-latreille-1804/ (edited 19/06/22).