- English Name : Starry triggerfish
- Local Name : Thari rondu
- Size : Max. 60 cm
- Family : BALISTIDAE
- Order : Perciformes
- Distinctive Characters: Dorsal fin with 3 spines and 25-27 rays. Anal fin with 24-25 rays. Pectoral rays 15-16. Body deep and laterally compressed. Scales enlarged above the pectoral fin base, forming a flexible tympanum. Cheeks scaly. Prominent groove on snout in front of eye. Longitudinal scale ridges on poste- rior part of the body. Caudal peduncle wider than deep. Caudal fin double emarginate.
- Colour: Background colour grey dashed with olive green, suffused with yellow, overlaid with many pale spots. Three whitish blotches on back (faint or absent in large individuals). Pectoral fins yellow.
- Habitat and Biology: Found over sand, sponge and weed bottoms to depths of 100 m. Solitary or in small groups. Feeds on benthic animals.
- Distribution: Indo-West Pacific.
- Remarks: Abalistes stellatus is not very often seen in the Maldives, because it is a moderately deep dwell-
ing species. It appears to be more common in the atoll basins.