The beautiful, robust and perhaps misunderstood titan triggerfish is often found in lagoons, outer reefs and nibbling at the ends of your fins (especially if they are yellow). With a daring attitude unrivalled by any other, the titan triggerfish is our Wildlife of the Week:
Species: Balistoides viridescens
Class: Actinopterygii
Status: (IUCN) Not Evaluated
Diet: Hard corals, hard bodied benthic invertebrates (shellfish, crustaceans and urchins) and algae
Size: Up to 75 centimetres
Behaviour: Titan triggerfish are often solitary, and diurnal, meaning they are day-time fish, sleeping at night.
Distribution: They inhabit the coral reefs found in the Indo-Pacific region comprising Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Fiji and Australia, as well as the Maldives and the Red Sea
Ecosystem: The nest of the titan triggerfish is usually in a flat sandy area amongst the corals, an area that it will defend with a passion
5 fast facts:
- Titan triggerfish are extremely territorial, mating season is a particularly aggressive time during which the trigger fish becomes even more territorial than usual
- Their teeth, designed for crunching through hard shells and coral, can inflict serious wounds on any would-be intruders
- Their territory extends upwards in the shape of a cone, ascending will only put you further into its territory, making a horizontal swim away from the nesting area the best escape route
- Titans are also known as the “Black-tipped” or “Moustached Triggerfish” due to their appearance – they have dark markings above the mouth which look like a moustache – and black edgings on their fins
- The triggerfish search for mating partners and are known to do mating dances with the chosen one
