Overview
Triggerfishes are among the most interesting animals that make their way into home aqariums. A number of triggerfishes are highly sought after by aquarists, and for good reason: they are durable, often very colorful, and exhibit an interesting array of behaviors.
They are members of the Order Tetraodontiformes, a group considered to be highly “advanced” because of its sophisticated anatomical plan: fewer teeth, massive fusion of the jaw bones, no lower ribs, no pelvic fins, no pelvic girdle (in some), and a reduction in the number of bones in the skull.
The triggerfishes are laterally compressed and deep-bodied, with eyes set high on the head. They have two dorsal fins, with the first dorsal having three spines that can be depressed into a groove along the back. All the soft fin rays are branched, they have no pelvic fins, and the teeth are well suited for crushing hard-shelled prey. They have stout pharyngeal teeth, with eight teeth protruding in the front of the jaw and six set right behind them. The skin is tough, with large, nonoverlapping scales. Some of the balistids have forward-curved spines on the posterior portion of the body and caudal peduncle. These spines may be employed during intraspecific aggressive interactions. The first dorsal spine can be locked into an erect position by the smaller second dorsal, or “trigger,” spine.
The triggerfishes are all marine species, many of which occur in tropical and coral reef environments. They swim by undulating the anal and dorsal fins and often blow jets of water out their mouths to excavate buried prey.
BioGroup:
Native range:
Taxonomic rank: Family
Common name: Triggerfishes
Total known | Total profiles | |
---|---|---|
Subfamilies | 0 | 0 |
Genera | 11 | 5 |
Species | 40 | 7 |
Captive care: Many of these fishes are aggressive and predatory, and their tankmates should be chosen very carefully. Zooplankton-feeding triggerfishes are best suited for a community setting, and several species can even be housed in reef aquariums. However, most triggerfishes feed on a wide array of sessile and motile invertebrates and will eat small fishes. Provide a medium to extra-large aquarium with suitable hiding places.Be careful when handling or working in a tank that contains a large specimen—it can deliver a painful (and potentially serious) bite. Never try to extract a triggerfish that has locked itself into a hiding place. Use a specimen container when capturing one of these fishes as the fin spine and bristles on the caudal peduncle may get tangled in the mesh of an aquarium net. It is possible to place different triggerfish species together in a large aquarium, but keep only one member of a species in the same tank, unless you can acquire a male-female pair.
Feeding: Most triggers feed on a wide range of prey items, especially benthic invertebrates. A few species specialize in zooplankton or floating algae. Offer a varied diet that includes crustacean meat and some hard-shelled invertebrates (like mollusks), or occasionally place a piece of coralline algae-encrusted coral rubble in the tank to help them wear down their ever-growing teeth. Try to feed them several times a day. Triggers tend to become more aggressive if given a diet that includes live feeder fish.
Notes: Those triggerfishes studied to date lay demersal eggs—often in a depression in the sand—which the males aggressively defend. Some nest-tending males have been known to attack and inflict harm to human divers. At least some of the triggerfishes are sexually dichromatic.
Subfamilies
none
Genera
Species
- Black Triggerfish
- Bluechin Triggerfish
- Crosshatch Triggerfish
- Niger Triggerfish
- Picasso Triggerfish
- Pinktail Triggerfish
- Scimitar Triggerfish
Matt Pedersen says:
Jonathan, I've sent messages through two avenues I have for him and included your info. Perhaps you'll be able to connect.Jonathan Baskin says:
I am trying to reach Henry Feddern. We were students together in U or Miami Marine lab it the 1960s.I see that the interview was done in 2011 so maybe the address you gave for him, which I have tried, may no longer be valid.CORAL Video: Banggai Ban with Bob Likins says:
[…] https://www.reef2rainforest.com/2023/08/22/are-banggai-cardinals-depleted-in-the-wild/ […]Vinny Kreyling says:
Congrats to Mark on his new position.I know I speak for many wishing him the best.Robert Di Marco says:
Hi Matt, I always read with great interest your articles on any new species being bred and especially the loves of my fish life, the Clownfish. (I was the first Clownfish breeder in Canada back in the late 80’s, having reared 9 varieties from a basement operation and have spoken at MACNA twice and given over 75 presentations, on maintaining marine tanks and rearing Clownfish, in all the four corners of Canada and the US. My goal was to try and raise as many different varieties as possible to avoid taking any more off the reefs. Your article on the first raising of the Oman Clownfish struck a particular chord with me. At the MACNA XXVI held in Denver Colorado, Colorado August 29-31, 2014, we took the opportunity to visit the Denver Aquarium and I was stunned to see a pair of Oman Clownfish on display because everything I had heard was that collection and exporting from Oman was prohibited. Here is one of the pictures we took: I had a particular fascination with this species of Clownfish because they develop a more pronounced forked caudal fin as they mature, even more than some “clarkii”. I tried to speak to someone at the Denver Aquarium about if they had tried or had any plans to try to breed them and unfortunately no one at the Aquarium that day knew anything about them and even what type of Clownfish they were. All they did know was that an anonymous donor had given the pair to the Aquarium. I even wrote to them to offer any assistance but I never got a reply. So, all these years, I am truly pleased to hear that another species will be reared in captivity, this again is of particular interest because I am preparing to give a talk (which I have given a few times since 2014), entitled “ANEMONE FISHES OF THE WORLD”. I confirmed my last update in communication with Dr. Gerry Allen, (we spoke together at a MACNA), when he discovered the Amphiprion Pacificus. In this talk. besides the ones that I raised personally, I also identify the species that have been raised by different breeders and facilities. Previously you used to issue a list of Marine fish that had been raised in captivity, but since 2019 I have not been able to find an updated version which now of course would include the Oman Clownfish. Can you tell me if such a new list exists and I would like to see which species of Clownfish that have still not been reared. Thanks Robert Di MarcoVIDEO Inside Look: AMAZONAS Magazine “FRESHWATER STING says:
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