Triggerfish make excellent table fare with light white meat that is delicious when cooked or eaten raw. While these fish are tasty there are a few things to watch out for. Out of the 40 species of triggerfish, the clown triggerfish is the only one that is considered unsafe to eat.
Why is it called trigger fish?
Triggerfish get their name from spines on the dorsal (back) fins that can be used as a predator defense and for anchoring. The first spine is large, and when erect it remains so until the fish deflexes the smaller second spine, “triggering” the first.
What do trigger fish do?
In some species males are known to maintain a harem of female mates. Triggerfish are infamous for their nasty attitude and this behavior is especially evident around nests, where intruders, from other fish to human divers, are likely to be charged or bitten.
What happens if a trigger fish bites you?
It is common for snorkelers and/or divers to be bitten by triggerfish because they are very territorial. However, such a bite isn’t going to be extremely painful or life threatening. It isn’t believed that the triggerfish bites people in an effect to consider them as a food source.
Are trigger fish good eating? – Related Questions
Are trigger fish aggressive?
These females are very aggressive to other fishes; many species of triggerfishes will exhibit aggression to a diver as well, but it generally takes the form of an overt rapid movement towards the intruder, quickly followed by a rapid retreat to the nest.
How do you escape a trigger fish?
The escape route
Their territory is shaped as an upside down cone from where the eggs are hiding, so swimming upwards will not help you escape the nesting zone – we’ve seen triggerfish following divers all the way up to the surface. Horizontal is the way to go!
Are triggerfish bites poisonous?
But if you are an unfortunate victim of a triggerfish bite, it should not be treated lightly. Their bites can cause serious infection as they contain a natural poison called Ciguatoxin.
Do fish get traumatized from catch and release?
In studies on hooking mortality, biologists hold fish for observation, usually for a number of days. What they’ve found is that a fish which appears all right at the time of release may have suffered trauma, injury from the hook or damage from handling, which leads to death later on.
Do trigger fish make sand?
blue triggerfish “Coral eating” fish such as parrotfish, triggerfish and surgeon fish feed on the algae rather than the coral polyps themselves. Many do this by eating the rocky coral itself, extracting the food the need and grinding up rocky material and expelling it as sand.
Why are trigger fish special?
All species of triggerfish (in the family Balistidae) share a special fin layout and thus swim with a unique swimming style. The anal and posterior dorsal fins cover the lower half of the fish’s body, like upper and lower sails and it’s this fin layout that makes them especially beautiful fish to see underwater.
How long trigger fish live?
The maximum age of triggerfish lies somewhere near 13 years.
Can you keep trigger fish?
Federal Waters:
1-Dec. 31 (potential early quote closures) 15′ FL: 1 fish bag limit within 20 reef fish aggregate. Atlantic: 12″ FL: up to 10 per person within the 20 fish “other” snapper grouper aggregate bag limit. Queen triggerfish are managed as marine life species and must be kept alive until landed.
Are trigger fish hard to catch?
Triggerfish aren’t huge, but they are quite challenging to catch. RIGGING properly is incredibly important, because these fish have tiny mouths which are dominated by a set of parrot-like teeth As a result: – You need to use shockingly small number four or number six hooks.
Will trigger fish eat anemone?
It will not eat coral or anemones, but may go after shrimp, clams, and snails. If you plan to keep it with shrimp, add the shrimp first.
What fish can go with triggerfish?
Some fish often kept with triggerfish include moray eels (Muraenidae), squirrelfish (Holocentridae) , lionfish (Pterois) , groupers (Epinephelinae), snappers (Lutjanidae), large hawkfish (genus Paracirrhites), certain wrasses (such as hogfish, tuskfish, banana wrasses), large angelfish, surgeonfish, Arothron pufferfish
What is the biggest trigger fish?
The Titan Triggerfish is the largest triggerfish species, growing to 75 cm in length.
What fish does triggerfish taste like?
Triggerfish have a sweet flavor, almost similar to crab and grouper. It’s sweeter than sheepshead.