Queen Triggerfish © Shedd Aquarium
The Balistes vetula is distinguished by its two blue face lines, dorsal and
tail fin streamers, and eyelash coloring around the eyes. It ranges in size
from 8 to 24 inches. The Queen triggerfish navigates reef tops, coral rubble,
and grass beds by swimming with its dorsal and anal fins. It is mainly found
in tropical climates in the Eastern and Western Atlantic.
The Queen triggerfish can also be recognized by the behavior common to its family
of extending out and locking its spine. It is a shy fish and when frightened or hiding from predators the fish can hide in rocks and lock its stout head spine upright against the rock. The Queen triggerfish feeds on a variety of invertebrates,
mainly benthic, like sea urchins, clams, and crabs. It can puff water at sea
urchins to flip them over and make the unprotected underbelly vulnerable. The
eyes of the Queen triggerfish are also set farther back so as to protect it
while finding food, like the sea urchin.
- California State University, Long Beach. "Species: Queen Triggerfish."
- http://www.csulb.edu/
- Fishbase. "Balistes vetula: Queen Triggerfish."
- http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=19
- Pamper, Keith. 2008. Personal Interaction. HSMB Pre-trip Classes.
