However, in the summer months when the seas are at their warmest they can be found in the waters around Britain and Ireland.
Reports come mainly from the Southwest coast, but triggers have also been found in the North Sea.
Unfortunately, the triggerfish cannot survive the British winter and die off when the water temperature falls below about 12 Celsius. The answer to this is not entirely certain. Triggerfish are rather feeble swimmers, so it seems more likely that they are brought in by the Gulf Stream from mid-Atlantic islands, such as the Azores, rather than travelling up from the Mediterranean against the currents. With higher sea temperatures, the grey triggerfish looks set to become an increasingly common visitor to our coastal seas. So the chances of divers seeing this distinctive fish are better than ever.