Kauaʻi record · KCA-FISH-000123
Black Durgon
Melichthys niger
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About Black Durgon
Black Durgon is a documented Kauaʻi reef or coastal fish represented from direct Kauaʻi survey evidence.
Kauaʻi evidence
Directly documented in a Kauaʻi reef survey or monitoring report.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Melichthys niger
- Common names
- Black Durgon
- Family
- Balistidae
- Order
- Tetraodontiformes
- Record type
- species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Documented on Kauaʻi
- Origin
- Indigenous
- Conservation status
- Not yet assessed
- Evidence date
- 2026-09-13
- Evidence limits
- Occurrence is documented on Kauaʻi; abundance and ecological role may differ among reef sectors and years.
Habitat and ecology
- Habitats
- Reef slope and open reef habitat
- Food and resource needs
- Species-specific diet and forage relationships are retained when supported by specialist or survey data
- Reproduction
- Species-specific spawning and recruitment requirements; local reproductive data vary
- Shelter
- Reef slope and open reef habitat
Threats and conservation
- Threats
- Fishing pressure, habitat degradation, water-quality change, climate stress and food-web disruption as applicable
- Conservation actions
- Maintain reef habitat quality, appropriate fishery stewardship and long-term monitoring
- Monitoring
- Track Kauaʻi distribution, abundance, size structure, recruitment, seasonality and habitat associations
- Data gaps
- Long-term Kauaʻi trends, population structure and attendant ecological relationships can be expanded as specialist datasets are contributed.
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal timing
- Present in direct Kauaʻi survey record; seasonal abundance may vary
- Seasonal description
- Black Durgon is a documented Kauaʻi reef or coastal fish represented from direct Kauaʻi survey evidence.