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.
 can move big rocks when feeding. It is often followed by smaller fish that eat leftovers.]]

## Behavior 
### 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 
# 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.
# Lieske, Ewald; Myers, Robert (1999). Coral Reef Fishes: Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean including the Red Sea. Princeton University Press. .
# McDavid, Jim (July 2007). "Aquarium Fish: Triggerfish". Advanced Aquarist. Vol. VI, no. VII. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017.
# Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2015). "*Pseudobalistes naufragium*" in FishBase. February 2015 version.
# Debelius, Helmut (1993). Indian Ocean Tropical Fish Guide. Aquaprint Verlags GmbH. .
# 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.
# 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.
# 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.
# 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.
# Kawase, Hiroshi (2003). "Maternal egg care in the bridled triggerfish, Sufflamen fraenatus (Balistidae) at Hachijojima island, Japan". Natural History Research. 7: 193–197.
# 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.
# 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. .
# 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.
# "Triggerfish". *A-Z Animals*.
# "16 Facts About Triggerfish". *Facts.net*.
# "Gray Triggerfish". *NOAA Fisheries*.
# "Triggerfish". *Animal World*.

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## Other websites 
* Media related to Balistidae at Wikimedia Commons
* Data related to  at Wikispecies