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Titan Triggerfish
Balistoides viridescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801 )
A Titan Triggerfish at a depth of 20 m, Harrier Reef, Great Barrier Reef off Port Douglas, Queensland, November 1998. View larger image. Photo: Erik Schloegl.
Above and below: A Titan Triggerfish at a depth of 15 m, 'Gotham City Reef', west of Mana Island, outer barrier reef, Fiji, April 2004. View larger image.
A Titan Triggerfish a depth of 6 m, 'Sunflower Patch', eastern fringing reef of Malolo Lai Lai, Fiji, April 2004. View larger image.
The Titan Triggerfish has a heavily scaled head and body. There is a deep groove in front of both eyes and about five rows of spines on either side of the caudal peduncle.
This species is distinctively coloured. The scales have dark centres. There is a black region with yellow spots covering the eyes and extending to the pectoral fin bases. The dorsal and anal fins have black margins.
The Titan Triggerfish is the largest triggerfish species, growing to 75 cm in length.
This fish can be aggressive when guarding its nest. Randall (1997) states that three divers were attacked by a Titan Triggerfish on one dive.
This species usually occurs on coral reefs in tropical waters of the Indo-West and Central Pacific.
In Australia it is known from south-western to north-western Western Australia and from the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland south to the central coast of New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
The Titan Triggerfish is also known as the Black-lipped Triggerfish, Blue-finned Triggerfish, Dotty Triggerfish and Giant Triggerfish.
Related links
- View the Triggerfish list
- Clown Triggerfish fact sheet
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
- Matsuura, K. 2001. Balistidae. in Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (Eds). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 6. Bony Fishes part 4 (Labridae to Latimeriidae), estuarine crocodiles, sea turtles, sea snakes and marine mammals. FAO, Rome. Pp. iii-v, 3381-4218.
