Triggerfish

**Triggerfish** are about 40 species of often brightly colored fish of the family **Balistidae**. Triggerfish are native to tropical waters. A prehistoric pufferfish called _Zignoichthys_ bore a resemblance to them.

Most are found in shallow, coastal habitats, especially at coral reefs, but a few, such as the ocean triggerfish are pelagic. Triggerfish are very popular in the marine aquarium trade. However, they are often grumpy.

There are reports that triggerfish have attacked humans due to them being territorial, but these attacks are extremely rare.

## Description

Triggerfish have an oblong-shaped, laterally compressed body. The head is large, having a small but strong mouth with teeth adapted for crushing shells.

They have small eyes set far back from the mouth and at the top of the head. To protect themselves from predators, triggerfish can erect the first two dorsal spines: The first (anterior) spine is locked in place by erection of the short second spine, and can be unlocked only by depressing the second, "trigger" spine, hence the name triggerfish.

### Triggerfish sizes

The stone triggerfish (_Pseudobalistes naufragium_) reaches 1 m (3.3 ft) and is the largest of them all. The titan triggerfish (_Balistoides viridescens_) is also relatively large, but it is not the largest ever.

### Male territoriality

Some male species (i.e. _Balistes carolinensis_ and _Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus_) build hollow nests within their territories. They often like to guard their territories as having a territory is essential for reproduction.

### Mating systems

The species _Xanthichthys mento_ and yellowmargin triggerfish have eggs spawned in the morning. They hatch after the sunset (more specifically, night), which is unusual.

### Life history

A triggerfish lays its demersal eggs in a small hole that has been dug into the seabed. Off Florida, juveniles of some triggerfish are found in floating sargassums, where they often feed on small shrimp, crabs, and mollusks.

## Classification

- Genus _Abalistes_
    - _Abalistes filamentosus_
    - _Abalistes stellaris_
    - _Abalistes stellatus_
- Genus _Balistapus_
    - _Balistapus undulatus_
- Genus _Balistes_
    - _Balistes capriscus_
    - _Balistes polylepis_
    - _Balistes punctatus_
    - _Balistes vetula_
- Genus _Balistoides_
    - _Balistoides conspicillum_
    - _Balistoides viridescens_
- Genus _Canthidermis_
    - _Canthidermis macrolepis_
    - _Canthidermis maculata_
    - _Canthidermis sufflamen_
- Genus _Melichthys_
    - _Melichthys indicus_
    - _Melichthys niger_
    - _Melichthys vidua_
- Genus _Odonus_
    - _Odonus niger_
- Genus _Pseudobalistes_
    - _Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus_
    - _Pseudobalistes fuscus_
    - _Pseudobalistes naufragium_
- Genus _Rhinecanthus_
    - _Rhinecanthus abyssus_
    - _Rhinecanthus aculeatus_
    - _Rhinecanthus assasi_
    - _Rhinecanthus cinereus_
    - _Rhinecanthus lunula_
    - _Rhinecanthus rectangulus_
    - _Rhinecanthus verrucosus_
- Genus _Sufflamen_
    - _Sufflamen albicaudatum_
    - _Sufflamen bursa_
    - _Sufflamen chrysopterum_
    - _Sufflamen fraenatum_
    - _Sufflamen verres_
- Genus _Xanthichthys_
    - _Xanthichthys auromarginatus_
    - _Xanthichthys caeruleolineatus_
    - _Xanthichthys greenei_
    - _Xanthichthys lima_
    - _Xanthichthys lineopunctatus_
    - _Xanthichthys mento_
    - _Xanthichthys ringens_
- Genus _Xenobalistes_
    - _Xenobalistes tumidipectoris_

There is also an extinct genus:
- Genus _Balistomorphus_
    - _Balistomorphus ovalis_

## What they eat

They'll feed on benthic invertebrates, such as crabs, sea urchins, shrimp, sand dollars, lobsters, and mollusks.

## Human uses

Some species of triggerfish, such as the titan triggerfish, may be ciguatoxic and cannot be eaten. Others, however, such as the grey triggerfish (_Balistes capriscus_), are edible, meaning you can eat them.

## Triggerfish attacks

Triggerfish can bite and suck blood from its attacker to weaken them.

## Related pages

- Pleuropholidae

## References

1. <small>Matsuura, Keiichi (2014). "Taxonomy and systematics of tetraodontiform fishes: a review focusing primarily on progress in the period from 1980 to 2014" (PDF). Ichthyological Research. 62 (1): 72–113. doi:10.1007/s10228-014-0444-5. S2CID 15223867.</small>
1. <small>Lieske, Ewald; Myers, Robert (1999). Coral Reef Fishes: Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean including the Red Sea. Princeton University Press. .</small>
1. <small>McDavid, Jim (July 2007). "Aquarium Fish: Triggerfish". Advanced Aquarist. Vol. VI, no. VII. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017.</small>
1. <small>Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2015). "_Pseudobalistes naufragium_" in FishBase. February 2015 version.</small>
1. <small>Debelius, Helmut (1993). Indian Ocean Tropical Fish Guide. Aquaprint Verlags GmbH. .</small>
1. <small>Randall, J.E.; Millington, J.T. (1990). "Triggerfish bite – a little-known Marine hazard". Journal of Wilderness Medicine. 1 (2): 79–85. doi:10.1580/0953-9859-1.2.79.</small>
1. <small>Lobel, Philip S.; Johannes, Robert E. (September 1980). "Nesting, egg and larvae of triggerfish (Balistidae)". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 5 (3): 251–252. doi:10.1007/bf00005359. S2CID 3213367.</small>
1. <small>Kawase, Hiroshi (March 2003). "Spawning behavior and biparental egg care of the crosshatch triggerfish, Xanthichthys mento (Balistidae)". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 66 (3): 211–219. doi:10.1023/a:1023978722744. S2CID 35997227.</small>
1. <small>Gladstone, William (March 1994). "Lek-like spawning, parental care and mating periodicity of the triggerfish Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus (Balistidae)". _Environmental Biology of Fishes_. 39 (3): 249–257. doi:10.1007/bf00005127. S2CID 36747250.</small>
1. <small>Kawase, Hiroshi (2003). "Maternal egg care in the bridled triggerfish, Sufflamen fraenatus (Balistidae) at Hachijojima island, Japan". Natural History Research. 7: 193–197.</small>
1. <small>Reebs, Stéphan G. (2011–2015). "Are fishes good parents?" (PDF). Université de Moncton. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016 – via howfishbehave.ca.</small>
1. <small>Matsuura, K.; Tyler, J.C. (1998). Paxton, John R.; Eschmeyer, William N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes: A Comprehensive Guide by International Experts. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 228–229. .</small>
1. <small>Evans, Jade. "How To Cook Triggerfish In The Most Delicious Way" . _MarvelousChef.com_. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.</small>
1. <small>"Triggerfish". _A-Z Animals_.</small>
1. <small>"16 Facts About Triggerfish". _Facts.net_</small>.
1. <small>"Gray Triggerfish". _NOAA Fisheries_.</small>
1. <small>"Triggerfish". _Animal World_.</small>

## Other websites

- Media related to Balistidae at Wikimedia Commons
- Data related to Balistidae at Wikispecies