Care
True to its name, the Mauritius Triggerfish is known from the shallow reefs and steep outer reef slopes of Mauritius, in addition to the neighbouring island of Réunion and to the north at the Maldives. This unusual triggerfish - with its extraordinarily lengthy and somewhat menacing-looking snout - is fairly uncommon and is rarely seen in the trade. It is part of the group of seven so-called 'Picasso triggerfish' of the Rhinecanthus genus, all with remarkably similar traits (with the exception of the favoured habitat of R. abyssus, which is known from much deeper waters compared to that of the other 6 species). This group of fish are primarily brown, grey, or white, and display strongly contrasting patterns in black, blue, orange, or yellow. All adult fish sport a dark line (in most species interspersed with blue) that extends from the forehead down through the eye to the pectoral fin. As R. cinereus is seldomly seen in the hobby, it is likely to command a somewhat hefty price tag when it is imported. The Mauritius Triggerfish is an outgoing species that, over time, will learn to recognise its owner. Like many other members of this family, it is an aggressive fish that is best maintained in a large fish-only aquarium with tankmates of a similar size and disposition. As the fish matures, so its aggression level will heighten. In addition to a decent amount of swimming space, ample shelter should be provided for it to establish a territory of its own. Mauritius Triggerfish will attack all manner of invertebrate life, which renders it an unsuitable species for the reef aquarium. Care must be taken with the aquascaping as they do like to move aquarium decor around. They are also notorious for biting through tubing, and even heaters, so it is worth thinking carefully about where you place your equipment. Keep only one specimen per tank, and not with any other Triggerfish species, due to territorial nature. Smaller fish are likely to end up on the menu. Although triggerfish often become "hand tame" and beg for food whilst making grunting noises, it is not advisable to feed directly from your hands as the fingers could easily be mistaken for a meaty snack. Always keep a close eye on where the fish is when carrying out any maintenance in the tank. At night, this species may be observed sleeping in strange positions. May also be seen on sale as Mauritian Picasso Triggerfish.
Feeding
Should be offered a wide variety of meaty foods such as vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, Mysis shrimp, krill, cockle, prawns, mussel, squid, clam meat etc. Will also eat frozen foods containing marine algae/greenfoods. Small amounts should be fed 3 times per day.
Breeding
This species has not been bred in the home aquarium, and is unlikely to as even the largest of tanks may not provide enough territory for more than one specimen.
