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Related FAQs: Triggerfishes
in General,
Triggerfish:
Identification,
Selection,
Selection 2, Compatibility,
Behavior,
Systems, Feeding,
Diseases, Triggerfish
Health 2,
Reproduction,
Related Articles: Triggerfishes (Family Balistidae),
Red
Sea Triggerfishes, Triggers of the Cook
Islands,
/The Best Livestock for A Marine Aquarium (Series)
Triggerfishes of the Genus Balistes
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by Bob Fenner
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The Queen in her court |
The genus Balistes: four or five species.
Sometimes the plain-Jane Finescale Trigger, Balistes polylepis Steindachner
1876, comes
into the trade out of the tropical eastern Pacific, but it is ugly and grows to two feet. My old roomie Gary Okonowsky holds up "the catch" before making
la sopa in the Sea of Cortez, and a pic down in the Galapagos.
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| Balistes punctatus Gmelin 1789, the Blue-Spotted Triggerfish.
Eastern Atlantic. To two feet long. Feeds on crustaceans and bivalves. |
No pic |
Much more beautiful but the embodiment of aggression in a marine tropical is the Queen
Triggerfish, Balistes vetula Linnaeus 1758, from the Atlantic. This is a MEAN fish, biting machine that
must be kept with basses, puffers and other animals too unpalatable to bite or mean and
smart enough to bite back. To two feet in length. Pictured below: A two inch
"tiny" specimen, a fifteen inch monster in captivity, and a foot
long beauty in the Bahamas.
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Quick Question
Bob,
I have two quick questions for you the first is Under the Balistes section the West African Triggerfish is not listed. Is there a reason why? Second, do you know where I might be able to obtain some of the larger triggerfish that you don't commonly see, such as the
Blunthead, or Ocean Triggerfish.
Thanks for all the information.
Mike Striegel
<Good questions all... Of the four assured species of the genus Balistes (do you recognize B. capriscus here? Make that five), about all the trade sees is the Queen (B.
vetula)... and though I really enjoy this group all the way around (intended at one point to make their systematics my academic life's work), don't have much information or image work on many species that have little use/brush with the ornamental aquatics trade... Will gladly insert information if you can direct me to source... and even more gladly haul out, go diving with you and make images for insertion on the site!
For the odder, larger species about two approaches come to mind to secure specimens. Consort with your suppliers (as collectors are very susceptible to their requests... and triggers of all sizes are easily caught... where they can be found... mainly by barbless hook and line), and secondly, to travel to their ranges, and gather your own. See my note above re traveling with!!! Bob
Fenner, in sunny Southern California, but wishing he was in warm clear water elsewhere>
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