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Home > Fishes
> Triggerfishes
Updated 5/15/2020
Family Balistidae
Triggerfishes
Triggerfishes have hard diamond-shaped scales that
interlock to form a tough but flexible body armor and have numerous spines on
the caudal peduncle. The spiny dorsal fin is composed of several stout
spines positioned rearward of the eyes. In comparison, Filefishes
have leathery skin covered with small bristles and a spiny dorsal fin directly
above the eyes. The pelvic fins are reduced to a bony nub. Most
swimming is done by undulating the soft dorsal and anal fins while the tail is
reserved for sudden bursts of speed. They have sharp incisiform teeth used to crush shellfish
and defend their nests. Some species will
attack humans while nesting or accidentally bite fish-feeders, causing
serious injury. A few species feed upon zooplankton in the
water column rather than benthic organisms.
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Predation on sea urchin, Wailea, Maui |
Rubble nests of Balistes polylepis,
Waianae, Oahu |
INDO-PACIFIC / HAWAII
Rhinecanthus aculeatus
LAGOON TRIGGERFISH |
Rhinecanthus rectangulus
REEF or PICASSO
TRIGGERFISH |
Melichthys
vidua
PINKTAIL TRIGGERFISH |
Melichthys niger
BLACK TRIGGERFISH |
Sufflamen bursa
LEI TRIGGERFISH
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Sufflamen
fraenatum
BRIDLED TRIGGERFISH |
Xanthichthys auromarginatus
GILDED TRIGGERFISH, Female |
Xanthichthys auromarginatus
GILDED TRIGGERFISH, Male |
Xanthichthys mento
CROSSHATCH TRIGGERFISH,
Female
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Xanthichthys mento
CROSSHATCH TRIGGERFISH,
Male
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Xanthichthys
caeruleolineatus
BLUELINED TRIGGERFISH
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Balistes
willughbeii
OCEAN TRIGGERFISH, Juvenile |
Balistes
polylepis
FINESCALED TRIGGERFISH
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INDO-PACIFIC
Balistoides conspicillum
CLOWN TRIGGERFISH
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Balistapus
undulatus
ORANGELINED TRIGGERFISH
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Balistoides viridescens
TITAN TRIGGERFISH, juv
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Balistoides viridescens
TITAN TRIGGERFISH
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Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus
YELLOWMARGIN TRIGGERFISH
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Pseudobalistes fuscus
YELLOW-SPOTTED TRIGGERFISH
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Odonus niger
RED-TOOTHED TRIGGERFISH
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Rhinecanthus verrucosus
BLACKBELLY TRIGGERFISH
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Sufflamen chrysopterum
HALFMOON TRIGGERFISH
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TROPICAL EASTERN PACIFIC
Sufflamen verres
ORANGESIDE TRIGGERFISH, Juvenile
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ATLANTIC
Balistes vetula
QUEEN TRIGGERFISH
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