Don’t be fooled by its beauty, it can bite off a lobster’s claws in one bite!

Have you ever seen a fish that looks like a pufferfish, but with bright and bold colors, like an abstract painting, in a coral reef or on TV? This is the famous triggerfish.

Triggerfish, also known as triggerfish and triggerfish, belong to the family Balistidae. There are about 40 species of triggerfish in the world, mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical oceans, especially in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Most triggerfish live in coastal areas, especially in offshore coral reef communities.

Picasso triggerfish, isn't it very artistic? | Pixabay

Bluethroat Triggerfish | Francois Libert / Flickr

The triggerfish gets its name from the trigger-like internal locking structure between the first and second dorsal fin rays (bones) on its back. After the first and largest dorsal fin spine is erected, the internal structure of the first dorsal fin spine forms a lock with the second dorsal fin spine. Only when the triggerfish voluntarily or manually loosens the lock inside the second dorsal fin can the erected first dorsal fin spine be lowered, otherwise it will remain "firm". In addition, the triggerfish has some lesser-known but very interesting features.

X-ray of Rhinecanthus rectangulus, with the two spines on top of its head showing how the smaller spines on the back stick out when they are erected | Sandra Raredon / Smithsonian Institution

Smiling tiger of the coral reef

Although the triggerfish has bright colors, simple and honest expressions, and looks very "cute", most triggerfish have bad tempers, and some of them are famous in the diving world. It is very simple to see whether the triggerfish is angry, just look at whether the "antenna" on its back is erected high. In addition to warning, the triggerfish will also erect this antenna when it is frightened. The real function of the antenna is to make it difficult for predators who want to swallow the triggerfish to eat and irritate their throats. Moreover, this dorsal spike cannot be easily put down, which makes many potential predators retreat.

Odonus niger, also known as the red-toothed triggerfish | Francois Libert / Flickr

The inhabitants of this coral reef are not good-tempered. Many fish will actively flee when they see humans approaching, but triggerfish usually stick to their territory to prevent (curious divers) from invading. Especially during the breeding season, triggerfish are wary of any potential threats entering the vicinity of their spawning grounds. The triggerfish's weapon of attack is not the antenna on its back, but a triangular mouth with amazing bite force. Its short and sharp fangs are not a problem for gnawing hard structures such as corals, and are more than enough to deal with invading divers.

A brown triggerfish, Balistoides viridescens, also known as the Titan triggerfish, angrily attacks a diver | Pacificklaus / youtube

Countless divers lack adequate guidance or knowledge, leaving teeth marks of angry triggerfish on their bodies or diving equipment, which will be unforgettable for a lifetime. When diving on coral reefs, the probability of encountering triggerfish is much higher than the probability of encountering sharks. However, there are still some ways to deal with angry triggerfish. The territory of triggerfish includes the water above it, but not the surrounding waters. Therefore, when you encounter a triggerfish swimming towards you angrily, it is the right choice to swim to the outside instead of above.

Good teeth, high IQ

Triggerfish swim slowly, relying mainly on the flapping of their pectoral, dorsal and pelvic fins to propel their bodies forward. Their caudal fin is used only when they need to move quickly, so they swim with a sense of floating (the main structure of their body hardly moves). Triggerfish feed mainly on bottom-dwelling marine life, and common diets include echinoderms, crustaceans, mollusks, and even live corals.

Look at these teeth biting coral! | Oceana / youtube

Although the triggerfish looks cute, it is actually very smart. When hunting, the triggerfish usually sprays water through its mouth to create a strong current to find prey hidden under the sea sand. Triggerfish also eat sea urchins. Even though the triggerfish has sharp teeth, the sea urchins covered with thorns are still a big challenge for them. Fortunately, the triggerfish knows that the mouth of the sea urchin is a relatively vulnerable place, whether it is the thickness of the shell or the number of thorns. Therefore, the smart triggerfish will use its mouth to pick up the sea urchin to a certain height and throw it down, and then combine it with the water spraying skills to try to knock the sea urchin over. Such attempts sometimes take several times to succeed, but in return, the triggerfish can bite the sea urchin shell and enjoy the deliciousness inside.

Undulating triggerfish Balistapus undulatus | Francois Libert / Flickr

Crustaceans with claws and thick armor, such as lobsters, are no match for triggerfish. The triggerfish approaches as if nothing has happened, then suddenly bites down on the base of the lobster's claws, and the claws separate from the lobster and become food in the triggerfish's mouth. After two bites, the lobster loses its ability to attack and can only flee. After too many legs are bitten off by the triggerfish, it can only stay where it is and be slowly destroyed by it. The hard shell of crustaceans is a piece of cake for the triggerfish.

A triggerfish bites off a lobster's leg (Calendar Girl's Chinese editor said this scene is something Liu Zongyuan would write about in his prose) | BBC Earth

The triggerfish also has a good memory ability and can learn hunting skills from other fish around it. In an artificial breeding environment, it can also ask for food from familiar owners. It will also use the "water gun" skill on the surface of the fish tank. If your fish tank is not tightly covered and there are sockets and other equipment around it, you should be careful.

Pets and food

Speaking of keeping, it is true that many brightly colored triggerfish are kept in aquariums or aquariums. Blue Throat Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus) and Picasso Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus Aculeatus) are common aquarium pets. However, not all cute triggerfish can be kept in an aquarium. Many triggerfish will chase and bite other small fish in the tank due to their territorial awareness and curiosity. As for the benthic organisms in the tank, especially crustaceans, the consequences are needless to say. They can even chew the wires of the heating equipment and wave-making equipment in the aquarium. Adult triggerfish are more dangerous than young individuals.

Killer clowns! Clown triggerfish chasing unlucky baitfish | PhiLLbX1 / youtube

Some species, such as the undulatus triggerfish, can be described as terrifying. They have a violent temper and will bite anything that comes close. If you put your hand on the edge of the fish tank lid, it will bite the edge of the lid, leaving traces of the fish tank rim being damaged, and at the same time making you feel deeply afraid that if I put my hand in there, it would probably be gone.

But many people still like to raise triggerfish. Their bright colors, cute swimming posture, and sharp teeth when feeding are all reasons why people like them.

But no matter how tough the fish is, it cannot escape the fate of being fed into human mouths, and the same is true for triggerfish. Except for a few triggerfish that may contain ciguatera toxins, such as the Clown Triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum), most triggerfish are edible.

Clown Triggerfish | MaxPixel

The triggerfish is covered with a tough armor-like skin, which requires a sharp knife to cut open its body and slice the fish meat. If there is no tool to slice it, most of them can only be grilled and eaten whole. The meat of the triggerfish is white and has few bones. The cooked meat tastes a bit sweet, similar to fresh grouper meat. At the same time, the fish meat itself does not have a fishy smell, which is suitable for people who don't like the fishy smell.

The cute and honest triggerfish has so many rich stories hidden behind it. Next time you go diving in a coral reef or watch it on a TV show, you will no longer be unfamiliar with these colorful "abstract paintings".

Author: Seafood Knowledge

Edit: Red Queen

This article comes from the Species Calendar, welcome to forward

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