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Triggerfish

 
Triggerfish

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Triggerfish



 
 
Triggerfishes are brightly colored fish
Fish

A fish is any marine biology vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scale , and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins....
 of the family
Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is a taxonomic rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Codes which applies....
 Balistidae. Often marked by lines and spots, they inhabit warm coastal waters of the Atlantic, Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific
Indo-Pacific

The Indo-Pacific is a biogeography region of the earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia....
.

gerfish range in size from 8 inches to 3 feet long (20 to 90 cm).

Triggerfish have a roundish, laterally flat body with an anterior dorsal fin
Dorsal fin

A wikt:dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs. Its main purpose is to stabilize the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns....
. They can erect the first two dorsal spines
Spine (biology)

In biology, spine or spiny may refer to:*Spine , needle-like structures in plants*Spine , needle-like structures in animalsSpine may also refer to:...
: The first one locks and the second one unlocks.






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Encyclopedia


Triggerfishes are brightly colored fish
Fish

A fish is any marine biology vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scale , and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins....
 of the family
Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is a taxonomic rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Codes which applies....
 Balistidae. Often marked by lines and spots, they inhabit warm coastal waters of the Atlantic, Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific
Indo-Pacific

The Indo-Pacific is a biogeography region of the earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia....
.

Anatomy and appearance

Triggerfish range in size from 8 inches to 3 feet long (20 to 90 cm).

Triggerfish have a roundish, laterally flat body with an anterior dorsal fin
Dorsal fin

A wikt:dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs. Its main purpose is to stabilize the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns....
. They can erect the first two dorsal spines
Spine (biology)

In biology, spine or spiny may refer to:*Spine , needle-like structures in plants*Spine , needle-like structures in animalsSpine may also refer to:...
: The first one locks and the second one unlocks. This prevents predators from swallowing them or pulling them out of their holes. This locking and unlocking behavior is why they are named "triggerfish".

They have a small pelvic fin, fused to one spine. Unlike the spine of a filefish, the spine of the triggerfish can be held in place by a second spine to make the fish more threatening to the predator. Their small eyes, situated on top of their large head, can be rotated independently. They have tough skin, covered with rough rhomboid-shaped scales
Scale (zoology)

In most biology nomenclature, a scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration....
 that form a tough armour on their body. A big, angular-shaped head extends into a snout with strong jaws and sharp teeth, adapted for crushing shells. Each jaw contains a row of eight teeth, while the upper jaw contains another set of six plate-like teeth.

Behavior

Most are solitary and diurnal. They feed on hard-shelled invertebrates, a few feed on large zooplankton or algae. They lay their demersal
Demersal zone

The demersal zone is the part of the sea or ocean comprising the water column that is near to the seabed and the benthos. The demersal zone is just above the benthic zone and forms a layer of the larger profundal zone....
 eggs in a small hole, dug in the ground. Some species guard their eggs.

A few of the triggerfish species can be quite aggressive during reproduction season. In particular Picasso triggerfish
Picasso triggerfish

The Lagoon triggerfish, also known as the blackbar triggerfish, the Picassofish, and the Jamal, is a triggerfish, up to 30 cm in length, found on reefs in the Indo-Pacific region....
 and titan triggerfish
Titan triggerfish

The titan triggerfish, Balistoides viridescens, is the largest of the triggerfish species and can grow up to 75 cm in length . Their range includes reef areas in the Indo-Pacific region, including Australia, Fiji, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and the Maldives, also in the Red Sea....
 viciously defend their circular nests against any intruders, including scuba divers and snorkelers. Their territory extends in a cone shape from the nest to the surface, so swimming upwards puts one further into the fishes' territory. A horizontal swim away from the nest site is the most sensible course of action when confronted by an angry triggerfish. In contrast to the relatively small Picasso triggerfish, the titan triggerfish poses a serious threat to inattentative divers due to its large size and powerful teeth.

Some species of triggerfish are known to make a sound akin to a grunt or snarl when taken out of the water. Triggerfish aggressively attack anything or anyone who comes to disturb its eggs; titan triggerfish can cause serious injury.

Gallery


Genera

  • Abalistes Bloch
    Marcus Elieser Bloch

    Marcus Elieser Bloch was a Germany medical doctor and naturalist. He is generally considered one of the most important ichthyologys of the 18th century....
     & Schneider
    Johann Gottlob Schneider

    Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider was a German Empire classicist and natural history.Schneider was born at Koilmen in Saxony. In 1774, on the recommendation of Christian Gottlob Heine, he became secretary to the famous Strasbourg scholar Richard Fran?ois Brunck, and in 1811 became professor of ancient languages and eloquence at Breslau...
    , 1801
    • Abalistes stellaris : Starry triggerfish
      Starry Triggerfish

      The starry triggerfish , or flat-tailed triggerfish, or chicken fish, is a tropical, harmless, oviparous bottom dweller, characterized by some white spots along the spinal dark band....
  • Balistapus Tilesius, 1820
    • Balistapus undulatus : Orange-lined triggerfish
      Orange-lined triggerfish

      The Orange-lined Triggerfish, Orange-striped Triggerfish or Undulated Triggerfish is a triggerfish of the tropical Indo-Pacific area....
  • Balistes
    Balistes

    Balistes is a genus of triggerfish. Species include:* Balistes capriscus * Balistes phaleratus* Balistes ellioti* Balistes polylepis ...
     Linnaeus
    Carolus Linnaeus

    Carl Linnaeus was a Sweden botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern alpha taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology....
    , 1758
    • Balistes capriscus: Grey triggerfish
      Grey triggerfish

      The grey triggerfish is a triggerfish of Eastern Atlantic areas. It is found from Mediterranean to Angola, and Nova Scotia to Argentina....
    • Balistes ellioti
    • Balistes polylepis : finescale triggerfish
    • Balistes punctatus
      Balistes punctatus

      Balistes punctatus is a Triggerfish from the Eastern Atlantic. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 60cm in length....
       : Bluespotted triggerfish
    • Balistes rotundatus
    • Balistes vetula
      Balistes vetula

      Balistes vetula, also known as Queen Triggerfish is a reef dwelling fish from the Atlantic Ocean. It is occasionally caught as a gamefish, and sometimes kept in marine aquariums...
       : Queen triggerfish
    • Balistes willughbeii
  • Balistoides Fraser-Brunner, 1935
    • Balistoides conspicillum : Clown triggerfish
      Clown Triggerfish

      The clown triggerfish, Balistoides conspicillum, is a triggerfish from the order Tetraodontiformes. This coral reef-associated fish is commonly found in the tropical Indo-Pacific and Red Sea....
    • Balistoides viridescens : Titan triggerfish
      Titan triggerfish

      The titan triggerfish, Balistoides viridescens, is the largest of the triggerfish species and can grow up to 75 cm in length . Their range includes reef areas in the Indo-Pacific region, including Australia, Fiji, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and the Maldives, also in the Red Sea....
       or mustache triggerfish
  • Canthidermis Swainson, 1839
    • Canthidermis maculata: Spotted oceanic triggerfish
    • Canthidermis macrolepis : Large-scale triggerfish
    • Canthidermis sufflamen : Ocean triggerfish
  • Melichthys
    Melichthys

    Melichthys is a genus in the triggerfish family ....
     Swainson, 1839
    • Melichthys indicus : Indian triggerfish
      Indian triggerfish

      The Indian triggerfish , also known as the Hawaiian black triggerfish, or black-finned triggerfish, has a brown body and black fins with white lines at the base of the Dorsal fin and anal fins....
    • Melichthys niger : Black triggerfish
      Black triggerfish

      The black triggerfish, Melichthys niger, called Humuhumu'ele'ele in Hawaii, is a blimp-shaped triggerfish with bright white lines running along its dorsal fin and anal fins....
    • Melichthys vidua : Pinktail triggerfish
      Pinktail triggerfish

      The Pinktail triggerfish, Melichthys vidua, is a dark green triggerfish with translucent pinkish-white dorsal and tail fins. They can grow up to 40 centimeters in length....
  • Odonus Gistel, 1848
    • Odonus niger : Redtoothed triggerfish
      Redtoothed triggerfish

      The redtoothed triggerfish or Niger trigger, Odonus niger, is a triggerfish of the tropical Indo-Pacific area, the sole member of its genus....
  • Pseudobalistes Bleeker, 1865
    • Pseudobalistes flavomarginatus Yellowmargin triggerfish
      Yellowmargin Triggerfish

      The yellowmargin triggerfish, Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus, are marine fish in the triggerfish family Balistidae. They originate in coastal tropical waters and reefs of the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea south to Natal, South Africa and east from southern Japan south to Indonesia and Samoa....
    • Pseudobalistes fuscus : Blue or rippled triggerfish
      Blue or rippled triggerfish

      The blue triggerfish or rippled triggerfish, Pseudobalistes fuscus, is a brilliant blue colour. This fish is known for its aggressiveness and many divers choose to stay away from them, as they bite often....
      , blue-and-gold triggerfish or yellowspotted triggerfish
    • Pseudobalistes naufragium : Stone triggerfish
  • Rhinecanthus
    Rhinecanthus

    Fishbase lists 7 species in the genus Rhinecanthus:*Rhinecanthus abyssus Matsuura & Shiobara, 1989*Rhinecanthus aculeatus , Blackbar triggerfish ...
     Swainson, 1839
    • Rhinecanthus abyssus
    • Rhinecanthus aculeatus Picasso triggerfish
      Picasso triggerfish

      The Lagoon triggerfish, also known as the blackbar triggerfish, the Picassofish, and the Jamal, is a triggerfish, up to 30 cm in length, found on reefs in the Indo-Pacific region....
      , lagoon triggerfish (USA)
    • Rhinecanthus assasi : Arabian Picasso triggerfish
      Arabian Picasso triggerfish

      Also known simply as the Picassofish....
    • Rhinecanthus cinereus
    • Rhinecanthus lunula : Halfmoon picassofish
    • Rhinecanthus rectangulus: Reef triggerfish
      Reef triggerfish

      The 'reef', 'rectangular', 'wedge-tail', or 'Picasso triggerfish', also known by its Hawaiian language name, , is one of several species of triggerfish....
       or humuhumu-nukunuku-a-pua'a (Hawaii)
    • Rhinecanthus verrucosus
      Rhinecanthus verrucosus

      Rhinecanthus verrucosus is a Triggerfish from the Indo-West Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 23cm in length....
       : Blackbelly triggerfish
  • Sufflamen Jordan
    David Starr Jordan

    David Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenics, ichthyologist , educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University....
    , 1916
    • Sufflamen albicaudatum
      Sufflamen albicaudatum

      Sufflamen albicaudatum is a Triggerfish from the Western Indian Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 22cm in length....
       : Bluethroat triggerfish
    • Sufflamen bursa
      Sufflamen bursa

      Sufflamen bursa is a Triggerfish from the Indo-Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 25cm in length....
       : Boomerang triggerfish
    • Sufflamen chrysopterum
      Sufflamen chrysopterum

      The Halfmoon triggerfish, Sufflamen chrysopterum, is a triggerfish of the tropical Indo-Pacific area.The Halfmoon triggerfish lives around seaward reefs and shallow lagoons....
       : Halfmoon triggerfish
      Sufflamen chrysopterum

      The Halfmoon triggerfish, Sufflamen chrysopterum, is a triggerfish of the tropical Indo-Pacific area.The Halfmoon triggerfish lives around seaward reefs and shallow lagoons....
    • Sufflamen fraenatum : Masked triggerfish
    • Sufflamen verres : Orangeside triggerfish
      Orangeside triggerfish

      The orangeside triggerfish is a species of fish in the Balistidae family....
  • Xanthichthys Kaup in Richardson, 1856
    • Xanthichthys auromarginatus : Gilded triggerfish
      Gilded triggerfish

      The Gilded Triggerfish or Blue-throated Triggerfish, Xanthichthys auromarginatus, is a spotted gray triggerfish. Males of the species have blue cheeks and yellow-bordered white fins....
    • Xanthichthys caeruleolineatus
      Xanthichthys caeruleolineatus

      Xanthichthys caeruleolineatus is a Triggerfish from the Indo-West Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 35cm in length....
       : Bluelined triggerfish
    • Xanthichthys lineopunctatus : Striped triggerfish
    • Xanthichthys mento
      Xanthichthys mento

      Xanthichthys mento is a Triggerfish from the Western Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 29cm in length....
       : Redtail triggerfish
    • Xanthichthys ringens : Sargassum triggerfish
  • Xenobalistes Matsuura, 1981
    • Xenobalistes punctatus : Outrigger triggerfish
    • Xenobalistes tumidipectoris