# Triggerfish > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Triggerfish > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Triggerfish.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triggerfish > Source revision: 1354930749 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Family of ray-finned fishes}} {{For|the surveillance technology|Triggerfish (surveillance)}} {{Automatic taxobox | fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Bartonian|present|[Middle Eocene](/source/Middle_Eocene) to present}} | image = Balistes vetula - 01.jpg | image_caption = Queen triggerfish (''[Balistes vetula](/source/Balistes_vetula)'') | image2 = Picasso.triggerfish.arp.jpg | image2_caption = Lagoon triggerfish (''[Rhinecanthus aculeatus](/source/Rhinecanthus_aculeatus)'') | taxon = Balistidae | authority = [A. Risso](/source/Antoine_Risso), 1810 | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision_ref = {{Cite WoRMS|title=Balistidae Rafinesque, 1810|id=125607|access-date=2026-04-05|db=FishBase}}{{cite journal | last1 = Matsuura | first1 = Keiichi | year = 2014 | title = Taxonomy and systematics of tetraodontiform fishes: a review focusing primarily on progress in the period from 1980 to 2014 | url = https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10228-014-0444-5.pdf | journal = Ichthyological Research | volume = 62 | issue = 1| pages = 72–113 | doi=10.1007/s10228-014-0444-5| s2cid = 15223867 | doi-access = free | bibcode = 2015IchtR..62...72M }} | subdivision = See text }} '''Triggerfish''' are one of 41 species{{cite journal |last1=Parenti |first1=Paolo |title=Annotated Checklist of Fishes of the Family Balistidae |journal=International Journal of Zoological Investigations |date=October 2021 |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=647-672 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355041053_Annotated_Checklist_of_Fishes_of_the_Family_Balistidae |access-date=11 April 2026}} of [marine](/source/Marine_life), [ray-finned fishes](/source/Actinopterygii) belonging to the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) '''Balistidae'''. Often [brightly colored](/source/Fish_coloration) and marked by lines and spots, they inhabit [tropical](/source/Tropics) and [subtropical](/source/Subtropics) oceans throughout the world, with the greatest [species richness](/source/species_richness) in the [Indo-Pacific](/source/Indo-Pacific). Most are found in relatively [shallow](/source/Shallow_water_marine_environment), [coast](/source/coast)al habitats, especially at [coral reef](/source/coral_reef)s, but a few, such as the oceanic triggerfish (''[Canthidermis maculata](/source/Canthidermis_maculata)''), are [pelagic](/source/pelagic), inhabiting the open ocean.{{Cite book|title=Coral Reef Fishes: Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean including the Red Sea|last1=Lieske|first1=Ewald|last2=Myers|first2=Robert|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=1999|isbn=0-691-00481-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780691004815}} Fish of this family are sometimes [eaten by humans](/source/Fish_as_food). While several triggerfish species are popular in the marine [aquarium](/source/aquarium) trade, they are often notoriously ill-tempered.{{Cite magazine|last=McDavid|first=Jim|date=July 2007|title=Aquarium Fish: Triggerfish|url=https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/7/fish|magazine=Advanced Aquarist|volume=VI|issue=VII|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606115651/https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/7/fish|archive-date=6 June 2017|url-status=live}} ==Description== {{Unreferenced section|date=April 2026}} [[File:Sufflamen albicaudatum 242558784.jpg|thumb|Teeth of a bluethroat triggerfish (''[Sufflamen albicaudatum](/source/Sufflamen_albicaudatum)'')]] Triggerfish have an oval-shaped, highly compressed body. The head is large, terminating in a small but strong-jawed mouth with teeth adapted for crushing shells ([durophagy](/source/durophagy)). Each jaw contains a row of four teeth on either side, while the upper jaw contains an additional set of six plate-like [pharyngeal teeth](/source/pharyngeal_teeth). The eyes are small and set far back from the mouth, towards the top of the head. The gill plates ([opercula](/source/Operculum_(fish))), although present, are also not visible; they are overlaid by tough skin covered with rough, rhomboid [scales](/source/Fish_scale) that form a stout armor on their bodies. The only [gill opening](/source/Fish_gill) is a vertical slit, directly above the [pectoral fin](/source/pectoral_fin)s. Their small, restricted gill openings are [a trait shared](/source/Apomorphy_and_synapomorphy) with other [Tetraodontiformes](/source/Tetraodontiformes). {{Multiple image | image1 = Rhinecanthus rectangulus X-ray.jpg | image2 = Balistes capriscus (Balistes buniva) - Swedish Museum of Natural History - Stockholm, Sweden - DSC00724 (cropped).JPG | total_width = 250 | direction = vertical | footer = Skeletal anatomy of ''[Rhinecanthus rectangulus](/source/Rhinecanthus_rectangulus)'' (top) and ''[Balistes capriscus](/source/Balistes_capriscus)'' (bottom) }} The [anterior](/source/anterior) [dorsal fin](/source/dorsal_fin) is reduced to a set of three spines, with the first spine is stout and by far the longest. All three are normally retracted into a groove. As a [protection against predators](/source/Protection_against_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](/source/Trigger_(firearms))" spine, hence the family name "triggerfish". This locking mechanism allows these fish to anchor themselves within crevices. Characteristic of the order Tetraodontiformes, the [anal](/source/anal_fin) and [posterior](/source/Posterior_(anatomy)) dorsal fins are capable of undulating from side to side to provide slow movement and comprise their primary mode of [propulsion](/source/propulsion), using a method called [balistiform locomotion](/source/balistiform_locomotion). The [sickle](/source/sickle)-shaped [caudal fin](/source/caudal_fin) is used for faster swimming, such as when evading predators. The two [pelvic fin](/source/pelvic_fin)s are overlaid by skin for most of their length and fused to form a single [spine](/source/Spine_(zoology)), terminated by very short [rays](/source/Fin_ray), their only external evidence. With the exception of a few species from the genus ''[Xanthichthys](/source/Xanthichthys)'', the sexes of all species in this family are similar in appearance, with little [sexual dimorphism](/source/sexual_dimorphism). The largest member of the family, the [stone triggerfish](/source/stone_triggerfish) (''Pseudobalistes naufragium''), reaches {{convert|1|m|ft|abbr=on}},{{FishBase|genus=Pseudobalistes|species=naufragium|year=2015|month=February}} but most species have a maximum length between {{convert|20|and(-)|50|cm|in|abbr=on|0}}. Triggerfish appear to have grown to even larger sizes in prehistory, with the extinct ''[Balistes crassidens](/source/Balistes_crassidens)'' and ''[Balistes vegai](/source/Balistes_vegai)'', both [fossil](/source/fossil) species from the [Miocene](/source/Miocene) of the [Caribbean](/source/Caribbean), potentially reaching up to {{Convert|1.8|m|ft}}, making them the largest triggerfishes known to have ever existed.{{Cite journal |last1=Viñola Lopez |first1=Lazaro W. |last2=Carr |first2=Richard |last3=Lorenzo |first3=Logel |date=2020-10-20 |title=First occurrence of fossil Balistes (Tetradontiformes: Balistidae) from the Miocene of Cuba with the description of a new species and a revision of fossil Balistes |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2019.1580278 |journal=Historical Biology |volume=32 |issue=9 |pages=1290–1299 |bibcode=2020HBio...32.1290V |doi=10.1080/08912963.2019.1580278 |issn=0891-2963|url-access=subscription }} ==Nomenclature== The triggerfish family, Balistidae, was first proposed in 1810 by French [polymath](/source/polymath) [Constantine Samuel Rafinesque](/source/Constantine_Samuel_Rafinesque).{{cite journal | author1 = Richard van der Laan | author2 = William N. Eschmeyer | author3 = Ronald Fricke | name-list-style = amp |year=2014 | title = Family-group names of recent fishes | url = https://mapress.com/zt/article/download/zootaxa.3882.1.1/33563 | journal = Zootaxa | volume = 3882 | issue = 2 | pages = 1–230| doi = 10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1 | pmid = 25543675 | doi-access = free }} The closest relatives to the triggerfishes are the [filefish](/source/filefish)es belonging to the family [Monacanthidae](/source/Monacanthidae), and these two families are sometimes classified together in the [suborder](/source/suborder) [Balistoidei](/source/Balistoidei), for example in the 5th edition of ''[Fishes of the World](/source/Fishes_of_the_World)''.{{cite book |author1=Nelson, J.S. |author1-link=Joseph S. Nelson |author2=Grande, T.C. |author3=Wilson, M.V.H. |year=2016 |title=Fishes of the World |edition=5th |publisher=[John Wiley & Sons](/source/John_Wiley_%26_Sons) |place=Hoboken, NJ |pages=518–526 |isbn=978-1-118-34233-6 |lccn=2015037522 |oclc=951899884 |ol=25909650M |doi=10.1002/9781119174844}} Other authorities, however, also include the families [Aracanidae](/source/Aracanidae) and [Ostraciidae](/source/Ostraciidae) within the suborder Balistoidei.{{cite web |url=https://www.calacademy.org/scientists/catalog-of-fishes-classification/ |title=Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes Classification |access-date=16 October 2024 |work=Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes |publisher=[California Academy of Sciences](/source/California_Academy_of_Sciences)}} ===Etymology=== The triggerfish family has both a [common name](/source/common_name) and a [scientific name](/source/scientific_name) that refers to the first spine of the dorsal fin being locked in place by the erection of the shorter second trigger spine, and unlocked by depressing the second spine. The [type genus](/source/type_genus) ''Balistes'' is taken directly from their Italian name ''pesce balestra'', the "crossbow fish"; this references the [ballista](/source/ballista), a [siege engine](/source/siege_engine) resembling an oversized [crossbow](/source/crossbow) which possesses a trigger mechanism.{{cite web |url=https://etyfish.org/tetraodontiformes2/ |title=Order TETRAODONTIFORMES: Families MOLIDAE, BALISTIDAE, MONACANTHIDAE, ARACANIDAE and OSTRACIIDAE |date=21 August 2024 |access-date=16 October 2024 |author=Christopher Scharpf |publisher=Christopher Scharpf}} ===Genera and species=== {{Clear}} {| class="wikitable collapsible" !Image !Genus !Living species |- |175px ||''[Abalistes](/source/Abalistes)'' {{small|[D. S. Jordan](/source/David_Starr_Jordan) & [Seale](/source/Alvin_Seale), 1906}} || * ''[Abalistes filamentosus](/source/Abalistes_filamentosus)'' [Matsuura](/source/Keiichi_Matsuura) & [Yoshino](/source/Tetsuo_Yoshino), 2004 * ''[Abalistes stellatus](/source/Abalistes_stellatus)'' Anonymous, referred to [Lacépède](/source/Bernard_Germain_de_Lac%C3%A9p%C3%A8de), 1798 |- |175px ||''[Balistapus](/source/Balistapus)'' {{small|[Tilesius](/source/Wilhelm_Gottlieb_Tilesius_von_Tilenau), 1820}} || *''[Balistapus undulatus](/source/Balistapus_undulatus)'' [M. Park](/source/Mungo_Park_(explorer)), 1797 |- |175x175px||''[Balistes](/source/Balistes)'' {{small|[Linnaeus](/source/Carl_Linnaeus), 1758}} || * ''[Balistes capriscus](/source/Balistes_capriscus)'' [J. F. Gmelin](/source/Johann_Friedrich_Gmelin), 1789 * ''[Balistes polylepis](/source/Balistes_polylepis)'' [Steindachner](/source/Franz_Steindachner), 1876 * ''[Balistes punctatus](/source/Balistes_punctatus)'' J. F. Gmelin, 1789 * ''[Balistes vetula](/source/Balistes_vetula)'' Linnaeus, [1758](/source/10th_edition_of_Systema_Naturae) |- |175px ||''[Balistoides](/source/Balistoides)'' {{small|[Fraser-Brunner](/source/Alec_Fraser-Brunner), 1935}} || * ''[Balistoides conspicillum](/source/Balistoides_conspicillum)'' (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) * ''[Balistoides viridescens](/source/Balistoides_viridescens)'' (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) |- |175px ||''[Canthidermis](/source/Canthidermis)'' {{small|[Swainson](/source/William_Swainson), 1839}} || * ''[Canthidermis macrolepis](/source/Canthidermis_macrolepis)'' [Boulenger](/source/George_Albert_Boulenger), 1888 * ''[Canthidermis maculata](/source/Canthidermis_maculata)'' Bloch, 1786 * ''[Canthidermis rotundatus](/source/Canthidermis_rotundatus)'' ([Marion de Procé](/source/Pierre-Martin_Marion_de_Proc%C3%A9), 1822) * ''[Canthidermis sufflamen](/source/Canthidermis_sufflamen)'' [Mitchill](/source/Samuel_Latham_Mitchill), 1815 * ''[Canthidermis willughbeii](/source/Canthidermis_willughbeii)'' ([Lay](/source/George_Tradescant_Lay) & [Bennett](/source/Edward_Turner_Bennett), 1839) |- |175px ||''[Melichthys](/source/Melichthys)'' {{small|Swainson, 1839}} || * ''[Melichthys indicus](/source/Melichthys_indicus)'' [J. E. Randall](/source/John_Ernest_Randall) & [Klausewitz](/source/Wolfgang_Klausewitz), 1973 * ''[Melichthys niger](/source/Melichthys_niger)'' Bloch, 1786 * ''[Melichthys vidua](/source/Melichthys_vidua)'' [J. Richardson](/source/John_Richardson_(naturalist)), 1845 |- |175px ||''[Odonus](/source/Odonus)'' {{small|Gistel, 1848}} || *''[Odonus niger](/source/Odonus_niger)'' [Rüppell](/source/Eduard_R%C3%BCppell), 1836 |- |175px||''[Pseudobalistes](/source/Pseudobalistes)'' {{small|[Bleeker](/source/Pieter_Bleeker), 1865}} || * ''[Pseudobalistes flavomarginatus](/source/Pseudobalistes_flavomarginatus)'' Rüppell, 1829 * ''[Pseudobalistes fuscus](/source/Pseudobalistes_fuscus)'' (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) * ''[Pseudobalistes naufragium](/source/Pseudobalistes_naufragium)'' D. S. Jordan & [Starks](/source/Edwin_Chapin_Starks), 1895 |- |175px ||''[Rhinecanthus](/source/Rhinecanthus)'' {{small|Swainson, 1839}} || * ''[Rhinecanthus abyssus](/source/Rhinecanthus_abyssus)'' [Matsuura](/source/Keiichi_Matsuura) & [Shiobara](/source/Yoshihisa_Shiobara), 1989 * ''[Rhinecanthus aculeatus](/source/Rhinecanthus_aculeatus)'' Linnaeus, [1758](/source/10th_edition_of_Systema_Naturae) * ''[Rhinecanthus assasi](/source/Rhinecanthus_assasi)'' [Forsskål](/source/Peter_Forssk%C3%A5l), 1775 * ''[Rhinecanthus cinereus](/source/Rhinecanthus_cinereus)'' [Bonnaterre](/source/Pierre_Joseph_Bonnaterre), 1788 * ''[Rhinecanthus lunula](/source/Rhinecanthus_lunula)'' J. E. Randall & [Steene](/source/Roger_C._Steene), 1983 * ''[Rhinecanthus rectangulus](/source/reef_triggerfish)'' Bloch & Schneider, 1801 * ''[Rhinecanthus verrucosus](/source/Rhinecanthus_verrucosus)'' Linnaeus, [1758](/source/10th_edition_of_Systema_Naturae) |- |175px||''[Sufflamen](/source/Sufflamen)'' {{small|D. S. Jordan, 1916}} || * ''[Sufflamen albicaudatum](/source/Sufflamen_albicaudatum)'' Rüppell, 1829 * ''[Sufflamen bursa](/source/Sufflamen_bursa)'' Bloch & Schneider, 1801 * ''[Sufflamen chrysopterum](/source/Sufflamen_chrysopterum)'' Bloch & Schneider, 1801 * ''[Sufflamen fraenatum](/source/Sufflamen_fraenatum)'' [Latreille](/source/Pierre_Andr%C3%A9_Latreille), 1804 * ''[Sufflamen verres](/source/Sufflamen_verres)'' [C. H. Gilbert](/source/Charles_Henry_Gilbert) & Starks, 1904 |- |175x175px||''[Xanthichthys](/source/Xanthichthys)'' {{small|Kaup, 1856}} || * ''[Xanthichthys auromarginatus](/source/Xanthichthys_auromarginatus)'' Bennett, 1832 * ''[Xanthichthys caeruleolineatus](/source/Xanthichthys_caeruleolineatus)'' J. E. Randall, Matsuura & [Zama](/source/Akira_Zama), 1978 * ''[Xanthichthys greenei](/source/Xanthichthys_greenei)'' [Pyle](/source/Richard_Lawrence_Pyle) & [Earle](/source/John_L._Earle), 2013 * ''[Xanthichthys lima](/source/Xanthichthys_lima)'' (Bennett, 1832) * ''[Xanthichthys lineopunctatus](/source/Xanthichthys_lineopunctatus)'' [Hollard](/source/Henri_Louis_Gabriel_Marc_Hollard), 1854 * ''[Xanthichthys mento](/source/Xanthichthys_mento)'' D. S. Jordan & C. H. Gilbert, 1882 * ''[Xanthichthys ringens](/source/Xanthichthys_ringens)'' Linnaeus, 1758 |- | ||''[Xenobalistes](/source/Xenobalistes)'' {{small|Matsuura, 1981}} || * ''[Xenobalistes tumidipectoris](/source/Xenobalistes_tumidipectoris)'' Matsuura, 1981 |- |} The following [cladogram](/source/cladogram) is based on a 2016 [molecular study](/source/Genetics) of filefish and triggerfish ([Balistoidea](/source/Balistoidea)):{{cite journal |title=Phylogenetic relationships and the evolution of BMP4 in triggerfishes and filefishes (Balistoidea) |journal=Elsevier Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |date=January 2016 |volume=94 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2015.09.014}} [[File:Madeira_Drückerfisch_Küste_Funchal_5-07.JPG|thumb|Grey triggerfish (''[Balistes capriscus](/source/Balistes_capriscus)'') are caught for food]] [[File:Sargassum triggerfish Xanthichthys ringens.jpg|thumb|Adult sargassum triggerfish (''[Xanthichthys ringens](/source/Xanthichthys_ringens)'') live around [reef](/source/reef)s and [banks](/source/Bank_(topography)), but juveniles live around [sargassum](/source/sargassum).]] [[File:2005-03-01 - Gilded triggerfish.jpg|thumb|The gilded triggerfish (''[Xanthichthys auromarginatus](/source/Xanthichthys_auromarginatus)'') is among the few [sexually dimorphic](/source/sexually_dimorphic) triggerfish. The female lacks the blue throat and yellow fin-edging.]] [[File:Redtoothed triggerfish.jpg|thumb|The redtoothed triggerfish (''[Odonus niger](/source/Odonus_niger)'') is one of the relatively few [planktivore](/source/planktivore)s of the family.]] [[File:Reef Triggerfish 1.JPG|thumb|The reef triggerfish (''[Rhinecanthus rectangulus](/source/Rhinecanthus_rectangulus)'') is the [state fish](/source/List_of_U.S._state_fish) of Hawaii.]] {{clade |1=''[Acanthostracion polygonius](/source/Acanthostracion_polygonius)'' |label2=[Balistoidei](/source/Balistoidei) |2={{clade |label1='''Balistidae''' |1={{clade |1={{clade |1=''[Balistes punctatus](/source/Balistes_punctatus)'' |2={{clade |1=''[Pseudobalistes fuscus](/source/Pseudobalistes_fuscus)'' |2={{clade |1=''[Pseudobalistes naufragium](/source/Pseudobalistes_naufragium)'' |2={{clade |1=''[Balistes polylepis](/source/Balistes_polylepis)'' |2={{clade |1=''[Balistes capriscus](/source/Balistes_capriscus)'' |2=''[Balistes vetula](/source/Balistes_vetula)'' }} }} }} }} }} |2={{clade |1={{clade |1={{clade |1={{clade |1=''[Balistoides viridescens](/source/Balistoides_viridescens)'' |2=''[Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus](/source/Pseudobalistes_flavimarginatus)'' }} |2={{clade |1=''[Xanthichthys ringens](/source/Xanthichthys_ringens)'' |2={{clade |1=''[Xanthichthys auromarginatus](/source/Xanthichthys_auromarginatus)'' |2=''[Xanthichthys mento](/source/Xanthichthys_mento)'' }} }} }} |2={{clade |1=''[Odonus niger](/source/Odonus_niger)'' |2={{clade |1={{clade |1=''[Balistapus undulatus](/source/Balistapus_undulatus)'' |2=''[Balistoides conspicillum](/source/Balistoides_conspicillum)'' }} |2={{clade |1=''[Melichthys niger](/source/Melichthys_niger)'' |2={{clade |1=''[Melichthys indicus](/source/Melichthys_indicus)'' |2=''[Melichthys vidua](/source/Melichthys_vidua)'' }} }} }} }} }} |2={{clade |1={{clade |1=''[Canthidermis maculata](/source/Canthidermis_maculata)'' |2=''[Canthidermis sufflamen](/source/Canthidermis_sufflamen)'' }} |2={{clade |1={{clade |1=''[Abalistes stellaris](/source/Abalistes_stellaris)'' |2=''[Abalistes stellatus](/source/Abalistes_stellatus)'' }} |2={{clade |1={{clade |1={{clade |1=''[Sufflamen fraenatum](/source/Sufflamen_fraenatum)'' |2=''[Sufflamen verres](/source/Sufflamen_verres)'' }} |2={{clade |1=''[Sufflamen bursa](/source/Sufflamen_bursa)'' |2={{clade |1=''[Sufflamen albicaudatum](/source/Sufflamen_albicaudatum)'' |2=''[Sufflamen chrysopterum](/source/Sufflamen_chrysopterum)'' }} }} }} |2={{clade |1={{clade |1=''[Rhinecanthus verrucosus](/source/Rhinecanthus_verrucosus)'' |2={{clade |1=''[Rhinecanthus abyssus](/source/Rhinecanthus_abyssus)'' |2=''[Rhinecanthus lunula](/source/Rhinecanthus_lunula)'' }} }} |2={{clade |1=''[Rhinecanthus rectangulus](/source/Rhinecanthus_rectangulus)'' |2={{clade |1=''[Rhinecanthus aculeatus](/source/Rhinecanthus_aculeatus)'' |2=''[Rhinecanthus assasi](/source/Rhinecanthus_assasi)'' }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} |2=[Monacanthidae](/source/Monacanthidae) }} }} === Fossil record === [[File:Oligobalistes robustus.jpg|thumb|Life restoration of the extinct ''[Oligobalistes](/source/Oligobalistes)'']] These fossil genera are also known: * {{Extinct}}''[Balistomorphus](/source/Balistomorphus)'' [Gill](/source/Theodore_Gill), 1888 - [Early Oligocene](/source/Early_Oligocene) of Switzerland{{Cite journal |last1=Bannikov |first1=A. F. |last2=Tyler |first2=J. C. |date=2008-10-01 |title=A new genus and species of triggerfish from the Middle Eocene of the Northern Caucasus, the earliest member of the Balistidae (Tetraodontiformes) |url=https://doi.org/10.1134/S0031030108060075 |journal=Paleontological Journal |language=en |volume=42 |issue=6 |pages=615–620 |bibcode=2008PalJ...42..615B |doi=10.1134/S0031030108060075 |issn=1555-6174|url-access=subscription }} * {{Extinct}}''[Gornylistes](/source/Gornylistes)'' Bannikov & Tyler, 2008 - Middle [Eocene](/source/Eocene) ([Bartonian](/source/Bartonian)) of the [North Caucasus](/source/North_Caucasus), Russia * {{Extinct}}''[Lobodus](/source/Lobodus)'' [Costa](/source/Oronzio_Gabriele_Costa), 1866 - [Late Eocene](/source/Late_Eocene) to Early Oligocene of Italy and [Alabama](/source/Alabama), US{{Cite journal |last1=Cicimurri |first1=David J. |last2=Stringer |first2=Gary L. |last3=Ebersole |first3=Jun A. |date=2025-08-18 |title=Additional records of Paleogene fishes (Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes) from Alabama, USA |url=https://journals.pan.pl/dlibra/publication/155954/edition/137133/content |journal=Acta Geologica Polonica |language=pl |pages=60 |doi=10.24425/agp.2025.155954 |issn=0001-5709|doi-access=free }} * {{Extinct}}''[Oligobalistes](/source/Oligobalistes)'' Daniltshenko, 1960 - Early Oligocene of the North Caucasus, Russia{{Cite journal |last1=SANTINI |first1=FRANCESCO |last2=TYLER |first2=JAMES C. |date=2003-12-01 |title=A phylogeny of the families of fossil and extant tetraodontiform fishes (Acanthomorpha, Tetraodontiformes), Upper Cretaceous to Recent |url=https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-abstract/139/4/565/2624208 |journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=139 |issue=4 |pages=565–617 |doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.2003.00088.x |issn=0024-4082|url-access=subscription }} ==Behavior== [[File:Titan Triggerfish.jpg|thumb|260x260px| [Titan triggerfish](/source/Titan_triggerfish) can move relatively large rocks when [foraging](/source/foraging). Smaller fish, in this case [orange-lined triggerfish](/source/orange-lined_triggerfish) and [moorish idol](/source/moorish_idol), often follow and feed on leftovers.]] The anatomy of the triggerfish reflects its typical diet of slow-moving, bottom-dwelling [crustacea](/source/crustacea)ns, [mollusk](/source/mollusk)s, [sea urchins](/source/sea_urchins), and other [echinoderm](/source/echinoderm)s, generally creatures with protective shells and spines. Many also take small fishes and some feed on [algae](/source/algae), such as the members of the genus ''[Melichthys](/source/Melichthys)''. A few, for example the [redtoothed triggerfish](/source/redtoothed_triggerfish) (''Odonus niger''), mainly feed on [plankton](/source/plankton). They are known to exhibit a high level of [intelligence for a fish](/source/Fish_intelligence), and have the ability to learn from previous experiences.{{Cite book|title=Indian Ocean Tropical Fish Guide|last=Debelius|first=Helmut|publisher=Aquaprint Verlags GmbH|year=1993|isbn=3-927991-01-5}} Off [Florida](/source/Florida), juveniles of some species of triggerfishes are found in floating ''[Sargassum](/source/Sargassum)'', where they feed on the small [shrimp](/source/shrimp), [crab](/source/crab)s, and [mollusks](/source/Mollusca) found there.{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Fishes: A Comprehensive Guide by International Experts|last1=Matsuura|first1=K.|last2=Tyler|first2=J.C.|publisher=Academic Press|year=1998|isbn=0-12-547665-5|editor=Paxton|editor-first=John R.|location=San Diego|pages=228–229|editor2=Eschmeyer|editor-first2=William N.}} ===Reproduction=== Triggerfish spawning is timed in relation to [lunar cycle](/source/lunar_cycle)s, [tide](/source/tide)s, and time of changeover of tides. In relation to lunar cycles, eggs are observed 2–6 days before the [full moon](/source/full_moon) and 3–5 days before the [new moon](/source/new_moon). In relation to tides, spawning happens 1–5 days before the spring tide. In relation to timing of tides, eggs are observed on days when high tides take place around sunset.{{cite journal|last=Gladstone|first=William|date=March 1994|title=Lek-like spawning, parental care and mating periodicity of the triggerfish ''Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus'' (Balistidae).|journal=[Environmental Biology of Fishes](/source/Environmental_Biology_of_Fishes)|volume=39|issue=3|pages=249–257|doi=10.1007/bf00005127|bibcode=1994EnvBF..39..249G |s2cid=36747250}} Triggerfish males migrate to their traditional [spawning site](/source/spawning_site)s prior to mating and establish territories. Males of certain species (i.e.'' [Balistes carolinensis](/source/Balistes_carolinensis)'' and ''[Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus](/source/Pseudobalistes_flavimarginatus)'') build hollow nests within their territories.{{cite journal|last1=Lobel|first1=Philip S.|last2=Johannes|first2=Robert E.|date=September 1980|title=Nesting, egg and larvae of triggerfish (Balistidae).|journal=[Environmental Biology of Fishes](/source/Environmental_Biology_of_Fishes)|volume=5|issue=3|pages=251–252|doi=10.1007/bf00005359|bibcode=1980EnvBF...5..251L |s2cid=3213367}} Male and female triggerfish perform certain prespawning behaviors - blowing and touching. Pairs may blow water on the sandy bottom (usually in the same spot at the same time) and set up their egg site. They touch their abdomens on the bottom as if they are spawning. During actual spawning, eggs are laid on the sandy sea bottom (triggerfish are [demersal](/source/Demersal_fish) spawners despite their large size). Eggs are scattered and attached to sand particles. Triggerfish eggs are usually very small (diameter of 0.5–0.6 mm){{cite journal|last=Kawase|first=Hiroshi|year=2003|title=Maternal egg care in the bridled triggerfish, ''Sufflamen fraenatus'' (Balistidae) at Hachijojima island, Japan.|journal=Natural History Research|volume=7|pages=193–197}} and are easily spread by waves. ====Territoriality==== Triggerfish males are fierce in guarding their territories as having a territory is essential for reproduction. A male's territory is used for spawning and parental care. Most male territories are located over a sandy sea bottom or on a rocky reef. A single territory usually includes more than one female, and the male mates with all of the females residing in or visiting his territory ([polygyny](/source/Polygyny_in_animals)). In Hachijojima, [Izu Islands](/source/Izu_Islands), Japan, one male crosshatch triggerfish (''[Xanthichthys mento](/source/Xanthichthys_mento)'') has up to three females in his territory at the same time, and mates with them in pairs. Each male red-toothed triggerfish (''[Odonus niger](/source/Odonus_niger)'') mates with more than 10 females in his territory on the same day.{{cite journal|last=Kawase|first=Hiroshi|date=March 2003|title=Spawning behavior and biparental egg care of the crosshatch triggerfish, ''Xanthichthys mento'' (Balistidae).|journal=[Environmental Biology of Fishes](/source/Environmental_Biology_of_Fishes)|volume=66|issue=3|pages=211–219|doi=10.1023/a:1023978722744|bibcode=2003EnvBF..66..211K |s2cid=35997227}} Yellow margin triggerfish (''[Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus](/source/Pseudobalistes_flavimarginatus)'') also exhibit polygyny. Some triggerfish species can be quite aggressive when guarding their eggs. Both the [Picasso](/source/Lagoon_triggerfish) (''Rhinecanthus aculeatus'') and [titan triggerfish](/source/titan_triggerfish) (''Balistoides viridescens'') viciously defend their nests against intruders, including scuba divers and snorkelers. Their territory extends in a cone from the nest toward the surface, so swimming upwards can put a diver further into the fishes' territory; a horizontal swim away from the nest site is best when confronted by an angry triggerfish. Unlike the relatively small Picasso triggerfish, the titan triggerfish poses a serious threat to inattentive divers due to its large size and powerful teeth.{{cite journal|last1=Randall|first1=J.E.|author-link=John Ernest Randall|last2=Millington|first2=J.T.|year=1990|title=Triggerfish bite – a little-known Marine hazard|journal=Journal of Wilderness Medicine|volume=1|issue=2|pages=79–85|doi=10.1580/0953-9859-1.2.79}} After spawning, both the male and female participate in caring for the fertilized eggs (biparental egg care). A female triggerfish stays near the spawning ground, around 5 m off the bottom, and guards the eggs within her territory against intruders. Some common intruders include ''[Parupeneus multifasciatus](/source/Parupeneus_multifasciatus), [Zanclus cornutus](/source/Zanclus_cornutus), [Prionurus scalprum](/source/Prionurus_scalprum)'', and [conspecific](/source/conspecific)s. Besides guarding, females roll, fan, and blow water on eggs to provide oxygen to the embryos.{{cite web|url=http://www.howfishbehave.ca/pdf/Are%20fishes%20good%20parents.pdf|title=Are fishes good parents?|last=Reebs|first=Stéphan G.|date=2011–2015|publisher=[Université de Moncton](/source/Universit%C3%A9_de_Moncton)|via=howfishbehave.ca|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031133/http://www.howfishbehave.ca/pdf/Are%20fishes%20good%20parents.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016}}{{Better source needed|date=April 2026}} This behavior of female triggerfish is called "tending", and males rarely perform this behavior. A male triggerfish stays farther above the eggs and guards all the females and eggs in his territory. Males exhibit aggressive behaviors against conspecific males near the boundaries of their territories. In crosshatch triggerfish (''[Xanthichthys mento](/source/Xanthichthys_mento)'') and yellow margin triggerfish (''[Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus](/source/Pseudobalistes_flavimarginatus)''), eggs are spawned in the morning and they hatch after the sunset on the same day. After hatching of embryos, the female crosshatch triggerfish leaves the male's territory. This mating system is an example of male-territory-visiting [polygamy](/source/Animal_sexual_behaviour). Triggerfishes exhibit other types of mating systems, as well, such as a nonterritorial-female (NTF) polygyny and territorial-female (TF) polygyny. In NTF polygyny, nonterritorial females stay in the male's territory and reproduce. In TF polygyny, a female owns territory within a male's territory and will spawn in her territory. ==Relation to humans== {{Missing information|section|Aquarium use|date=April 2026}} [[File:Iba,Zambalesjf9256 06.JPG|thumb|[Titan](/source/Titan_triggerfish) and [yellowmargin triggerfish](/source/yellowmargin_triggerfish) at a fish market, in the Philippines]] Some species of triggerfish, such as the titan triggerfish, may be [ciguatoxic](/source/Ciguatera) and should be avoided. Others, however, such as the [grey triggerfish](/source/grey_triggerfish) (''Balistes capriscus''), are edible.{{cite web|url=https://marvelouschef.com/how-to-cook-triggerfish/|title=How To Cook Triggerfish In The Most Delicious Way|last1=Evans|first1=Jade|website=MarvelousChef.com|date=10 May 2017 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729180654/https://marvelouschef.com/how-to-cook-triggerfish/|archive-date=29 July 2017|access-date=4 July 2017}} {{Clear}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * {{Commons category-inline|Balistidae}} * {{Wikispecies-inline|Balistidae}} * {{wiktionary-inline|Balistidae}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q504796}} {{Authority control}} Category:Triggerfish Category:Balistoidei Category:Extant Eocene first appearances Category:Bartonian first appearances --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Triggerfish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triggerfish) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triggerfish?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.