Balistidae – Triggerfish

Triggerfish belong to the family of Balistidae. There are about 40 species in this family and they are brightly coloured.  Triggerfish are commonly found in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. They have a compressed body and pelvic fins are fused to one spine. Upper jaw usually with four teeth in outer and three in the inner series on each premaxillary. Triggerfish can rotate eyeballs independently.

Triggerfish normally swim by undulating their second dorsal and anal fins, but will use their tail for rapid bursts. Most triggerfish are solitary diurnal carnivores, feeding on a variety of invertebrates, including hard-shelled mollusks and echinoderms; some also feed on algae or zooplankton. They lay demersal eggs in a nest which is aggressively guarded by the female, less often by the male. Popular and hardy in aquariums, but can be aggressive.