Queen Triggerfish

Balistes vetula

Queen triggerfishQueen triggerfish aka Queen trigger have the typical Trigger body shape but the body is colored in purples, blues, yellows and greens. Intensity of the coloration varies. There are two two blue stripes on the face with several small blue to black lines projecting outward from the eye. The chin area is the most yellow fadeing to blueish green as you get further up and back. Fins trimmed in blue.

Queen triggerfish occur in Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts south all the way to Brazil. The Queen Triggerfish is usually solitary and is associated with reefs and wrecks, grass beds or other similiar structure such as rubble.

Queen triggerfish feed on invertebrates, molluscs and sea-urchins. Queen triggerfish love sea urchins which are dislodged by blowing water under them. The urchin is then attacking on its underside where the spines are shorter. Schools of triggerfish often team up on sea urchins and remove the spines before getting to the meat.


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