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Triggerfish
*** Shopping-Tip: Triggerfish
{{Taxobox
| color = pink
| name = Triggerfish
| image = Titan_triggerfish.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption =
Titan Triggerfish (''Balistoides viridescens'')
| regnum =
Animalia
| phylum =
Chordata
| classis =
Actinopterygii
| ordo =
Tetraodontiformes
| familia = '''Balistidae'''
| subdivision_ranks =
Genus Genera
| subdivision =
See text.
}}
'''Triggerfishes''' are the brightly coloured
fishes of the
family (biology) family '''Balistidae'''.
Marked by lines and spots, they inhabit warm coastal waters of the Atlantic, Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific.
Their size varies from 30 cm (1 foot) to 75 cm (2.5 feet). Most are solitary and diurnal. They feed on hard-shelled invertebrates, a few feed on large zooplankton or algae. They lay their
demersal zone demersal eggs in a small hole, dug in the ground. Some species guard their eggs.
Triggerfish have a roundish, laterally flat body with an anterior
dorsal fin. They can erect the first two dorsal
spine (biology) spines, the first one locks and the second one unlocks. This prevents
Predator predators from swallowing them or pulling them out of their holes. This locking and unlocking behaviour is why they are named 'Triggerfish'.
They have a small
Pectoral fin pectoral fin, fused to one spine. Their small eyes, situated on top of their big head, can be rotated independently. They have tough skin, covered with rough rhomboid-shaped
Scale (zoology) scales that form a tough armour on their body. A big, angular-shaped head extends into a snout with strong jaws and sharp teeth, made for crushing shells. Each jaw contains a row of eight teeth, while the upper jaw contains another set of six plate-like teeth.
Behavior
A few 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. The Picasso Triggerfish is relatively small, but due to its large size and powerful teeth the Titan Triggerfish poses a serious threat to inattentative divers.
image:Picasso.triggerfish.arp.jpg thumb|right|[[Picasso Triggerfish (''Rhinecanthus aculeatus'')]]
image:Redtoothed_triggerfish2.jpg thumb|right|[[Redtoothed Triggerfish (''Odonus niger'') feeding on
plankton.]]
Genera
*''Abalistes''
Marcus Elieser Bloch Bloch &
Johann Gottlob Schneider Schneider, 1801
**''Abalistes stellaris'' :
Starry Triggerfish
*''Balistapus'' Tilesius, 1820
**''Balistapus undulatus'' :
Orange-lined triggerfish
*''Balistes''
Carolus Linnaeus Linnaeus, 1758
**''Balistes capriscus'':
Grey triggerfish
**''Balistes ellioti''
**''Balistes polylepis'' :
finescale triggerfish
**''Balistes punctatus'' :
Bluespotted triggerfish
**''Balistes rotundatus''
**''Balistes vetula'' :
Queen triggerfish
**''Balistes willughbeii''
*''Balistoides'' Fraser-Brunner, 1935
**''Balistoides conspicillum'' :
Clown Triggerfish
**''Balistoides viridescens'' :
Titan Triggerfish, Mustache Triggerfish
*''Canthidermis''
William Swainson Swainson, 1839
**''Canthidermis maculata'':
Spotted oceanic triggerfish
**''Canthidermis macrolepis'' :
Large-scale triggerfish
**''Canthidermis sufflamen'' :
Ocean triggerfish
*''Melichthys''
William Swainson Swainson, 1839
**''Melichthys indicus'' :
Indian triggerfish
**''Melichthys niger'' :
Black Triggerfish
**''Melichthys vidua'' :
Pinktail triggerfish
*''Odonus'' Gistel, 1848
**''Odonus niger'' :
Redtoothed triggerfish
*''Pseudobalistes'' Bleeker, 1865
**''Pseudobalistes flavomarginatus''
Yellowmargin Triggerfish
**''Pseudobalistes fuscus'' :
Blue or rippled triggerfish, Blue-and-gold triggerfish, Yellowspotted triggerfish
**''Pseudobalistes naufragium'' :
Stone triggerfish
*''Rhinecanthus''
William Swainson Swainson, 1839
**''Rhinecanthus abyssus''
**''Rhinecanthus aculeatus''
Blackbar triggerfish, lagoon humu ''(Hawai?i),'', Lagoon triggerfish ''(USA),''
Picasso Triggerfish ''(Micronesia)''
**''Rhinecanthus assasi'' :
Picasso Triggerfish
**''Rhinecanthus cinereus''
**''Rhinecanthus lunula'' :
Halfmoon picassofish
**''Rhinecanthus rectangulus'':
Reef triggerfish, humuhumunukunuku?apua?a ''(Hawai?i)''
**''Rhinecanthus verrucosus'' :
Blackbelly triggerfish
*''Sufflamen''
David Starr Jordan Jordan, 1916
**''Sufflamen albicaudatum'' :
Bluethroat triggerfish
**''Sufflamen bursa'' :
Boomerang triggerfish
**''Sufflamen chrysopterum'' :
Halfmoon triggerfish
**''Sufflamen fraenatum'' :
Masked triggerfish
**''Sufflamen verres'' :
Orangeside triggerfish
*''Xanthichthys'' Kaup in Richardson, 1856
**''Xanthichthys auromarginatus'' :
Gilded triggerfish
**''Xanthichthys caeruleolineatus'' :
Bluelined triggerfish
**''Xanthichthys lineopunctatus'' :
Striped triggerfish
**''Xanthichthys mento'' :
Redtail triggerfish
**''Xanthichthys ringens'' :
Sargassum triggerfish
*''Xenobalistes'' Matsuura, 1981
**''Xenobalistes punctatus'' :
Outrigger triggerfish
**''Xenobalistes tumidipectoris''
References
* {{FishBase family|family=Balistidae|year=2005|month=December}}
{{commonscat|Balistidae}}
Category:Tetraodontiformes
de:Drückerfische
fr:Balistidae
it:Balistidae
lt:Raguotinės
*** Shopping-Tip: Triggerfish
