Some species of triggerfish, such as the titan triggerfish, may be ciguatoxic and should be avoided. Others, however, such as the grey triggerfish ( Balistes capriscus ), are edible. The reef triggerfish is the state fish of Hawaii. Most triggerfish are aggressive, but few match the orange-lined triggerfish.
Full Answer
Are triggerfish edible?
Some species of triggerfish, such as the titan triggerfish, may be ciguatoxic and should be avoided. Others, however, such as the grey triggerfish ( Balistes capriscus ), are edible. The reef triggerfish is the state fish of Hawaii. Most triggerfish are aggressive, but few match the orange-lined triggerfish.
Can triggerfish live in a reef aquarium?
Due to the aggressive tendencies of triggerfish, they’re typically not the best saltwater fish to keep in reef aquariums. They normally require a tank of that single particular fish only that does not contain other tank mates of other species.
How do you say reef triggerfish in Hawaiian?
The reef triggerfish is the state fish of Hawaii, but their common name is something entirely different there. The Hawaiians call reef triggerfish “humuhumunukunukuapua’a”. Every single vowel and consonant is pronounced in the Hawaiian language.
Can you eat triggerfish in Florida?
Off Florida, juveniles of some species of triggerfishes are found in floating Sargassum, where they feed on the small shrimp, crabs, and mollusks found there. Some species of triggerfish, such as the titan triggerfish, may be ciguatoxic and should be avoided. Others, however, such as the grey triggerfish ( Balistes capriscus ), are edible.
Can you eat reef triggerfish?
Other species in the triggerfish family can be eaten and are very popular because of their clean white meat. Like crab meat, the triggerfish has a sweet flavor when cooked. Fillets from triggerfish are light and thin and work well with any standard fish recipe.
Are triggerfish healthy to eat?
Raw Triggerfish Of all wild-caught fish, triggerfish is one of the best for eating raw. It is delicious in sashimi, ceviche, and sushi, but again, remember that larger triggerfish should be avoided.
Is triggerfish poisonous?
Edibility. Some species of triggerfish, such as the titan triggerfish, may be ciguatoxic and should be avoided. Others, however, such as the grey triggerfish (Balistes capriscus), are edible.
What does a triggerfish taste like?
The meat is clean and white and features a sweet flavor when it is cooked. It's quite different from other seafood and is excellent for people who aren't so big on fish, especially if they have an aversion to “fishy tasting” seafood. Queen triggerfish are another great species to try.
Is triggerfish high in mercury?
The lowest average mercury levels were observed in flounder, dolphin (mahi mahi), vermilion snapper, tripletail (blackfish), and gray triggerfish.
Does sheepshead taste good?
The short answer is that the sheepshead taste is actually sweet and delicious with a slight shellfish flavor. The varied diet for this fish makes it not just delicious but also very nutritious. The somewhat flaky and tender flesh is often considered to have a flavor that faintly resembles shellfish when cooked.
What do reef triggerfish eat?
The reef triggerfish diet consists mainly of reef invertebrates and algae. Common food items are small crustaceans, worms, brittlestars, sea urchins, and snails. Less common dietary supplements are other fishes, corals, tunicates, forams, and eggs.
How much does triggerfish cost?
How much does a Triggerfish cost?10% off Blue Jaw Triggerfish Xanthichthys auromarginatus From $89.99Blueline Triggerfish Pseudobalistes fuscus From $149.99Hawaiian Black Triggerfish Melichthys niger From $79.99Indian Black Triggerfish Melichthys indicus From $79.99Oct 24, 2020
What's the state fish of Hawaii Humuhumunukunukuapua A?
triggerfishThe state fish of Hawaii is the beautiful, colorful Humuhumunukunukuapua'a. The literal meaning in Hawaiian is said to be “triggerfish with a snout like a pig”. This is one of many in the triggerfish family and it is endemic to the salt water coasts of various central and south pacific.May 16, 2018
What does redfish taste like?
What does redfish taste like? Is it fishy, steak texture, flaky, white, or fishy tasting? Redfish or Red drum will have a mild, sweet flavor with a medium-firm texture. Not a steak texture like Shark or Swordfish and not as flaky as say a Flounder.
How do you catch a triggerfish?
4:369:35How to Catch Triggerfish - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou want a small hook that would get caught in the corner of their mouth.MoreYou want a small hook that would get caught in the corner of their mouth.
How big does a triggerfish get?
Biology. Triggerfish can grow to be up to 13 pounds, 28 inches fork length (length from the tip of the snout to the center of the fork of the tail), and 16 years old. Males are larger than females.
What is triggerfish?
Triggerfish are beautiful, brightly colored fish with interesting patterns and dramatic body markings. They often have larger fins and ornate tails. Part of the Balistidae family, there are 40 different species of triggerfish occupying both tropic and subtropic oceans all over the word.
What are the characteristics of triggerfish?
A unique characteristic of the triggerfish species is that they have a mouth full of teeth. triggerfish have a reputation for being aggressive at times and under certain circumstances. The fact is that females will vigorously protect their eggs.
How to get triggerfish to stop biting?
If the triggerfish are being stubborn and not biting, you may want to try a technique called “bucketing.”. These fish really love to hide inside anything floating around, something you can use to your advantage. You will need a five-gallon bucket or something of similar size to entice the triggers.
What bait do you use for triggerfish?
Something around a number four or six is a good starting place. Baitcasting, spinning, and light ocean tackle should be in your plan. Triggerfish like cut bait of any type, shrimp, strips of squid and they bite at plastic lures.
How to clean triggerfish?
Cleaning triggerfish is a little more complicated than other fish because of the tough skin. Take your filet knife stab in and at an angle cut to up and past the head bringing the knife out, flip the fish over, belly side up and do the same stabbing technique.
Where to catch triggerfish in Florida?
All of these places are excellent for finding triggerfish, but one of the best places to catch triggerfish is in the waters of Florida.
How much line do you need to bait a triggerfish?
Plastic lures are just an amusement to the triggerfish. You will need around a 15-pound test line with no leader, tie your hook directly to the line.
Introduction To Triggerfish
Triggerfish are some of the most interesting fish in the marine aquarium hobby due to their decorated appearances and incredibly bold personalities. Though these fish are full of character and can have beautiful colors, many triggerfish are not reef-safe, which prevents a lot of aquarists from attempting to keep them.
Reef-Safe vs Not Reef-Safe Triggerfish
There are some differences between reef-safe and not reef-safe triggerfish. Remember, there is always the possibility that a triggerfish that is labeled as reef-safe may not prove to be so in your own aquarium.
Types of Triggerfish
Though there are not many species of reef triggerfish, there are actually quite a few different genera:
8 Best Reef Triggerfish For Aquariums
Here are the top types of triggerfish that are likely to be reef-safe. Remember, this means that they are the species most likely to leave both corals and invertebrates alone. This can always change from fish to fish so don’t take the chance if you’re not willing to lose anything in your tank!
Triggerfish Species To Avoid
While reef triggerfish are beautiful, there are a few species that common hobbyists want to avoid. This includes:
Where To Buy Triggerfish
Triggerfish are typically available at local fish stores and several online fish stores. However, you will usually find large or common reef triggerfish when looking to purchase locally. If you are looking for smaller, tank raised, or even the more exotic types like crosshatches, consider purchasing from an online fish store.
Final Thoughts
Triggerfish catch the attention of many hobbyists due to their impressive sizes, bright colors, and fearsome sharp teeth. Though most reef triggerfish species are incredibly hardy, not many hobbyists can actually keep them in their home aquariums due to their potential size and behavior.
Appearance
From their size, shape, and color, this triggerfish is extraordinary among other species. In a typical setting, you cannot spot a fish with a thin-like oval structure. Their shape is an advantage when it comes to hiding and suppressing themselves in danger.
Size
A triggerfish has a standard size of 13 inches with a maximum of 17 inches. This is the triggerfish that you can usually spot in an aquarium. They usually lived in the ocean, where the room available is limitless so that some triggerfish can grow up to 30 inches.
Requirements
Given the size of a triggerfish, it requires a vast aquarium since this species loves to swim around. There should be a minimum of 70 gallons of water to 100 gallons. Without proper tank requirements, it will be a hindrance to their growth.
What do they eat?
A triggerfish has plenty of species that could run over up to 40 kinds worldwide. Even though there are various species of triggerfish, the food they eat is comparable with each other.
What is triggerfish?
Sufflamen. Xanthichthys. Xenobalistes. Triggerfish are about 40 species of often brightly colored fish of the family Balistidae. Often marked by lines and spots, they inhabit tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the world, with the greatest species richness in the Indo-Pacific.
What is the difference between a triggerfish and a redtoothed triggerfish?
The female lacks the blue throat and yellow fin-edging. The redtoothed triggerfish is one of the relatively few planktivores of the family.
What happens after triggerfish hatch?
After hatching of embryos, the female crosshatch triggerfish leaves the male's territory. This mating system is an example of male-territory-visiting polygamy. Triggerfishes exhibit other types of mating systems, as well, such as a nonterritorial-female (NTF) polygyny and territorial-female (TF) polygyny.
How small are triggerfish eggs?
Triggerfish eggs are usually very small (diameter of 0.5–0.6 mm) and are easily spread by waves. After spawning, both the male and female participate in caring for the fertilized eggs (biparental egg care).
How long does it take for triggerfish to spawn?
In relation to lunar cycles, eggs are observed 2–6 days before the full moon and 3–5 days before the new moon. In relation to tides, spawning happens 1–5 days before the spring tide.
Why do triggerfish blow water on eggs?
Besides guarding, females roll, fan, and blow water on eggs to provide oxygen to the embryos, thereby inducing hatching. 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.
How big is a clown triggerfish?
The largest member of the family, the stone triggerfish ( Pseudobalistes naufragium) reaches 1 m (3.3 ft), but most species have a maximum length between 20 and 50 cm (8–20 in). Triggerfish have an oval-shaped, highly compressed body.
What bait do triggerfish eat?
Squid is good and it stays on the hook better than most other natural bait. Cigar minnows and cut bonito also work well.
Where can I find grey triggerfish?
Grey triggerfish can be found anywhere in the water column. They go where the food is, and that can be from the very surface all the way to the reef below. I recommend fishing your way down. Let the baited hook fall ten seconds. Let it sit, if no bites occur, drop it five more seconds.
What does a box of triggers mean?
A box of triggers means that someone is going to be eating well. Anglers will need to be patient once a hot reef is located because wherever triggerfish are found, there will be red snappers there too. And sometimes, those red snappers will take the bait intended for triggerfish.
What color are snappers?
Almost as quickly as the bait went down, hooked and fighting fish are coming up. Some of the landed fish are the bright red of snappers, but some fish are a solid, dark, almost black color. They have big heads and snapping little beaks for mouths, and the anglers seem to be pleased with either catch.
Do triggerfish make fast circles?
They fight pretty hard, and they make strong, fast circles as they fight against the pressure of the hook. We use a standard two hook “chicken rig” when we are seriously targeting triggers and that entails rigging a bank sinker and two small circle hooks on short leads. Triggerfish frequent almost all Gulf reefs.
Can trigger fish catch red snapper?
Triggers can be very aggressive feeders, and a big school of sub-legal triggerfish can make catching red snappers almost impossible as they clean off bait sent down for snappers. This eager triggerfish bite can frustrate anglers who are set on catching red snapper.
Do triggerfish like deep water?
Grey triggerfish are true reef fish, and they prefer deeper water. In fact, triggers and red snapper seem to find the same kinds of reefs and the same depth of water very attractive. In general where we find snappers, we find triggers. Although triggerfish can be caught in large numbers once they are located, folks who want to catch ...
Where do triggerfish live?
They are often vibrantly colored and marked by spots or lines. Triggerfishes reside in tropical and subtropical oceans around the world, but most of their population is found in the Indo-Pacific.
Why are triggerfish called triggerfish?
Why are they called “triggerfish”? Triggerfish earned their common name due to their spines on their back fins, which are used for self-defense and for anchoring themselves in hiding spots. The first spine is big and can be locked into an upright position using a second, smaller spine known as “the trigger”.
What fish are in the saltwater tank?
Fish. Triggerfish. Mollie Newton. October 16, 2020. Well-known for their spiny dorsal fins, triggerfish are a unique and interesting species that can certainly look stunning in a saltwater tank. However, their aggressive nature can make them challenging to house with other species of fish.
What is a crosshatch triggerfish?
It has a yellow tinge to its body, green fins, and a vibrant pink tail.
What plants can triggerfish use?
The type of plants you use in a triggerfish tank is down to personal preference, but I especially like Halimeda, Dragon’s Tongue Algae, Green Finger Algae, and Shaving Brush Plant.
How big can triggerfish get?
Larger varieties can grow up to 28 inches fork length (length from the snout to the center of the fork of the tail) and weigh up to 13 pounds. FUN FACT.
What is the name of the fish with red teeth?
Redtoothed triggers are considered one of the more peaceful species in the family. Gray Triggerfish. Gray triggerfish (known as pejepuerco blanco in Mexico) is a member of the Balistdae family.
Where do triggerfish live?
The reef triggerfish is usually found in shallow outer reef areas and often on basalt reefs in surge-swept locations. This fish usually swims near the ocean floor in search of food. It often feeds on algae, reef invertebrates such as small crustaceans, brittlestars, sea urchins, sea snails, and worms.
What is the triggerfish in Hawaii?
The triggerfish is intimately connected to the Hawaiian hog god, Kama Pua’a.
What is the official state fish of Hawaii?
The Reef Triggerfish is the official state fish of Hawaii. The state has remained true to its distinctive natural beauty and mystery by choosing a fish that is intimately linked to its islands and mythology. The fish was named the official state fish of Hawaii following a popular vote and state approval in 1984. In 2006, Governor Linda Lingle signed a bill permanently establishing it the state fish of the islands.
Overview
Description
The triggerfish's teeth and top lip are blue and the teeth are set close together inside its relatively plump mouth.
It has a small second dorsal spine which is used to lock its main spine into an upright position. When sheltering in a small crevice, this locking of its spine helps protect the fish against being extracted by a predator. When fleeing from predators, it sometimes makes grunting noises, pos…
Hawaii state fish
The reef triggerfish was originally designated the official fish of Hawaii in 1985, but due to an expiration of a Hawaiian state law after five years, it ceased to be the state fish in 1990. On April 17, 2006, bill HB1982 was presented to the Governor of Hawaiʻi, which permanently reinstated the reef triggerfish (humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa) as the state fish of Hawaii. The bill passed into law on May 2, 2006, and was effective upon its approval.
Further reading
• "Rhinecanthus rectangulus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 30 January 2006.
• "Marine Life Profile: Reef Triggerfish" (PDF). Waikiki Aquarium. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
• "Legislation to permanently establish as Hawaii state fish". Archived from the original on 10 July 2006. Retrieved 28 January 2006.
External links
• Photos of Reef triggerfish on Sealife Collection