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.
What is special about triggerfish?
As a 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” spine, hence the family name “triggerfish”.
What kind of fish is trigger fish?
triggerfish, any of about 30 species of shallow-water marine fishes of the family Balistidae, found worldwide in tropical seas. Triggerfishes are rather deep-bodied, usually colourful fishes with large scales, small mouths, and high-set eyes.
Is trigger fish 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.
Is trigger fish good to eat? – Related Questions
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.
Do trigger fish bite humans?
Divers should not continue to swim toward a large triggerfish that does not move away upon their approach. Divers should also be warned not to feed triggerfishes by hand, as even small species are capable of inflicting bite wounds on the hands.
Is trigger fish fishy tasting?
Triggerfish have a sweet flavor, almost similar to crab and grouper. It’s sweeter than sheepshead. You can now understand why people love to eat it, even raw.
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!
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.
Is trigger fish high in mercury?
The lowest average mercury levels were observed in flounder, dolphin (mahi mahi), vermilion snapper, tripletail (blackfish), and gray triggerfish.
Do trigger fish carry ciguatera?
Certain fish—groupers, barracudas, moray eel, sturgeon, sea bass, red snapper, amberjack, mackerel, parrot fish, surgeonfish, and triggerfish—can cause ciguatera fish poisoning.
What is another name for trigger fish?
English language common names include gray triggerfish, grey triggerfish, filefish, leatherjacket, pig-faced, trigger-fish, triggerfish, common triggerfish, and turbot.
Does trigger fish have bones?
The bone-in fish is not at all difficult to eat as there are no small bones in a triggerfish. We cook the fillets with just a little butter in a skillet. Cook until the fish turns opaque or white. It does not take very long to cook triggerfish, so be careful not to overcook.
What do Hawaiians call triggerfish?
The humuhumunukunukuāpua’a, or reef triggerfish (Rhinecanthus rectangulus), is one of the most widely recognized of Hawaiian fishes.
Do all trigger fish have teeth?
“Most triggerfish do not have teeth like that. Usually, they have a set of two canine teeth on the top and another set at the bottom. These help them catch their prey, which is usually shellfishes on the reef floor.”
What is the best bait for triggerfish?
Triggerfish inhabit hard bottom ledges and artificial reefs in water depths that exceed 80 feet. They are almost always found in association with red snapper. Triggers are commonly caught on squid or cut bait.
Do trigger fish fight hard?
Triggerfish are exceptionally hard fighters, especially for their size. Their small mouths are deceptively strong, and they can snag your baits in a hurry – just ask any Snapper fisherman.
Can Trigger fish live together?
More than one Triggerfish from this genus can even be kept in the same tank, but they should be introduced at the same time to avoid serious territorial aggression.
Do trigger fish eat other fish?
Hawaiian Black Triggerfish (Melichthys niger) is an omnivore that can be fed a mixed diet of shrimp, squid, clams, fish, and other meaty fares suitable for carnivores, as well as marine algae and vitamin-enriched herbivore foods.
What do trigger fish feed on?
Triggerfish feed primarily during daylight on shrimp, crabs, sea urchins, sand dollars, sea stars, sea cucumbers and bivalve mollusks. Juvenile trigger fish are prey for tuna, dolphinfish, marlin, sailfish and sharks. Amberjack, grouper and sharks are known to prey on adult triggerfish.