Queen Triggerfish

The Queen Triggerfish is a large species from the tropical Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Its body is large powerful, the eyes being set high up on the forehead. The Queen Trigger is a beautiful fish that can become hand tamed in time. Watch your fingers though, the front teeth are very sharp and can deliver a painful bite. The base color of the fish is a light yellow while the dorsal and anal fins are tinted in blue.


Photo: uwphoto.net

The Queen Triggerfish 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 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. Some of the triggerfish species can be quite aggressive during reproduction season. In particular Picasso triggerfish and titan triggerfish 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.