Titan triggerfish
The Titan triggerfish (Balistoides viridescens), also known as the giant triggerfish or moustache triggerfish, is a large marine fish belonging to the family Balistidae, characterized by its deep, oval-bodied shape, a prominent groove before the eye, scaleless skin around the lips, and small forward-curving spines near the caudal peduncle.[1] It features a greyish body with dark-centered scales, a distinctive black "moustache" marking, and often yellow spots around the eyes extending toward the pectoral fins, with black margins on the dorsal and anal fins.[2] Reaching a maximum total length of 75 cm, it inhabits coral reefs, lagoons, seaward reefs, and sheltered inner reef slopes at depths from 0 to 60 m in the Indo-Pacific region.[1][2] Native to the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, the Titan triggerfish ranges from the Red Sea and East Africa eastward through the Indian Ocean to northern Australia, extending to the Line and Tuamotu Islands in the Pacific, and northward to southern Japan, spanning latitudes from approximately 35°N to 26°S and longitudes from 32°E to 122°W.[1] In Australia, it occurs from southwestern Western Australia northward along the coast to the northern Great Barrier Reef in Queensland and as far south as central New South Wales.[2] Juveniles typically inhabit shallow sandy areas with coral rubble, while adults are solitary or form pairs on reefs.[1] This species is omnivorous, feeding primarily on sea urchins, corals, crabs, mollusks, and tube worms, using its strong, beak-like teeth to crush hard-shelled prey.[1][2] It is oviparous, with distinct pairing during breeding; females construct nests in flat sandy areas and become highly territorial for about a week following the full or new moon, aggressively defending eggs against intruders, including divers.[1] Such hostility has led to documented attacks on humans, underscoring its reputation as one of the more aggressive reef fishes.[2] Commercially fished in parts of its range, the Titan triggerfish is marketed fresh or dried-salted, though it carries risks of ciguatera poisoning in some areas.[1] Classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution and lack of major threats, it plays a role in reef ecosystems as both predator and occasional corallivore.[3]Taxonomy and nomenclature
Scientific classification
The Titan triggerfish is scientifically classified as Balistoides viridescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801).[4] This species was first described in the ichthyological work Systema Ichthyologiae by Marcus Elieser Bloch and Johann Gottlob Theaophilus Schneider.[5]| Taxonomic rank | Name |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia[1] |
| Phylum | Chordata[1] |
| Class | Actinopterygii[1] |
| Order | Tetraodontiformes[1] |
| Family | Balistidae[1] |
| Genus | Balistoides Fraser-Brunner, 1935[6] |
| Species | B. viridescens[1] |