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Something which fascinates me is when a very successful species is so successful that it evolves away from its original habitat into a new niche. Examples of this literally make up the history of life on the planet, but today I want to talk about one of my favorite families of fish, Balistidae, the triggerfish, the cunning, clever, and truculent nast5ers of the coral reef environment. Except today we are writing about a triggerfish which left the colorful, frenetic cities of the coral reef and evolved to live in the vast open ocean. This is Canthidermis maculata aka “the spotted oceanic triggerfish”, a medium-sized triggerfish which has a worldwide distribution in temperate oceans from New York to London, down around the Cape of Good Hope and then across the Indian Ocean to the Gulf of Thailand. It can be found in the Pacific Ocean from Japan across to Hawaii and to the California and South American coasts.
The fish are silver or gray with little pale dots of blue or white. Although they can grow to half a meter (20 inches) in length, adults are more commonly 35 centimeters (14 inches) long. Reef triggerfish are opportunistic feeders and so, it seems are spotted oceanic triggerfish which can be carnivorous or planktivorous depending on the circumstances (although they seem to specialize in hunting smaller fish).
Like many pelagic fish (but unlike most other triggerfish) these fish seem to assemble in loose schools to travel the oceans. they are preyed on by sailfish, mahi-mahi, large sea birds, and other such predators (and by rapacious humans, of course). Female triggerfish build their nests in rough proximity on ocean bottoms from 4 meters to 45 meters deep where they guard and aerate the eggs (which hatch very quickly and disseminate the little larval fish throughout the oceans.
Here is a rare trigger fish of the Xanthichtys genus (which lives throughout the tropical reefs of the Indo-Pacific and Australia). This beauty is Xanthichtys lineopunctatus, the linespot triggerfish. Because it is mysterious and rare, I can not say much about its life and habits–although we know it is a triggerfish–a clever, omnivorous parrot of the ocean equipped with sharp eyes, a supermouth capable of biting through steel cables, and fearless temerity (and a special hunger for small invertebrates).
Anyway, like many triggers, Xanthichtys lineopunctatus is also equipped with op-art color patterns which would not look out of place on an 80s trapper keeper or 3 ring binder. Yet the real defining feature of this fish is its ridiculous anime face which features big soulful eyes and a pouty serrated mouth. It is hard to catch the winsome qualities in words, so I will defer to “reef-builders” an aquarium site whose writers actually have one of these fish as a pet (which gave them ample time to capture its Japanese cartoon good looks).
The day is almost over and I have barely accomplished anything, but there is still time for a startling visual post about triggerfish! Here are all three known species of the aggressive genus Pseudoballistes.
The first is Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus (AKA the yellow margin trigger or pineapple trigger) which lives throughout tropical reefs of the IndoPacific.
The second, a real stunner, is Pseudobalistes fuscus (AKA the “blue triggerfish” or “rippled triggerfish“) lives in the same range. It is even more aggressive than the pineapple triggerfish and many divers just swim away from blue triggerfish on sight so as to avoid painful bites. But look at that gorgeous pattern of blue labyrinths on their body!
The third is Pseudoballistes naufragium (“the stone triggerfish”) which lives in the Eastern Pacific from Baja down to Chile. This is the largest triggerfish in the ocean growing to a size of up to 1 meter 1 meter (3.5 ft) in length.
Usually my ocean posts end in portentous warnings and sadness, but all of these triggerfish are clever aggressive generalists who are doing well (and will savagely attack you if you mess with them). They sound practically human! (but maybe don’t tell them I said that)
Let’s get back to triggerfish! This is Xanthichthys mento, a small triggerfish (well, for triggerfish, I mean) which grows to a size of 20 cm (11 in) in length and hails from the mighty Pacific Ocean. This triggerfish has a tiny anxious mouth for eating zooplankton. Although triggerfish in general delight me, I am highlighting this particular species for three reasons: 1) it’s bright red/blue/yellow color scheme and endearing expression are wonderful; 2) the common/English name of Xanthichthys mento is the “crosshatch triggerfish–what could be more appropriate for artists?; and 3) it is the middle of the night, and I need a quick visual post. I hope Xanthichthys mento provides a winter splash of color for you! I promise a better post tomorrow!
Halloween this year featured scary clowns…but I just realized that I forgot to include one of the best posts on this subject before October ended. This is Balistoides conspicillum, the clown triggerfish, one of the most beloved of all aquarium fishes because of its wild white spots and bright orange greasepaint mouth (along with sundry yellow/white stipples, squiggles, stripes and some translucent cornflower fins). I promised I would showcase some Tetraodontiformes (my favorite order of fish), and there could hardly be a showier fish in the ocean!
Don’t let this fish’s comic good looks deceive you though: it is not some oceangoing fop. Clown triggerfish live on coral reefs throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific (and maybe in the Caribbean part of Atlantic, during these days of irresponsible hobbyists) and the adult fish prefer a solitary life at the edge of the reef where it drops off into the endless blue of the ocean. The top of deep underwater cliffs is their favorite home, presumably so they can stare forbodingly into the depths like a melancholic hero from Romantic art. This means that clown triggerfish must cope with all of the denizens of the reef…and with pelagic outsiders who live by different standards than those of the bustling underwater “cities”.
Clown triggerfish stand up to other fish, even much larger ones, with an arsenal that includes strong muscles, nimble maneuverability, cleverness (they are reputed to be some of the smartest fish in the ocean), a locking “trigger” bone to make them hard to pry out of caves, and, oh yeah, a terrifying mouth filled with sharp rock-like teeth. Their diet of tunicates, spiny sea urchins, large arthropods (crabs and lobsters), and bivalve mollusks such as clams necessitates formidably strong jaw muscles. Apparently clown triggerfish can just bite right through lobster armor and clamshells. True to their common name, these fish sometimes become prankish with their owners and, at feeding time, they have been known to grunt comically and squirt water onto their favorite humans. If they like a person they can be fed by hand or even caressed, but it is a risky venture since, obviously, they can use their mouths for more than biting through clams.
Adult clown triggerfish grow to be half a meter in size and they can live for up to 20 years in captivity. When they spawn, the triggerfish dig a shallow nest in the coral rubble and lay eggs in it. Together the couple fiercely guards the eggs until the babies hatch, then all parties go their own ways. Juvenile clown triggerfish have a diamond shape and are completely covered in white spots (their other markings appear as they mature).
Longtime readers of this blog probably think that my favorite order of fish are the catfish (siluriformes), a vast order of fascinating freshwater fish which have based their success on mastering sensory perception, or possibly the flatfish (pleuronectiformes) whose predator/prey dichotomy and tragicomic frowns are featured heavily in my elegiac artwork about the decline of the oceans. Readers who have really read closely might suspect the lungfish or the ghost knife fish. Yet, actually, I haven’t written a great deal about my personal favorite order of fishes because they are so eclectic and eccentric that they are hard to write about. The Tetraodontiformes are an ancient order of teleosts (rayfin fish) which apparently originated on the reefs of the mid to late Cretaceous (during the age of dinosaurs). There are currently 10 extant families in the order, but the Tetradontiformes are not closely related to other bony fish.
So what are these ten families of exciting weirdo fish? Wikipedia lists them alphabetically for us!
- Aracanidae — deepwater boxfishes
- Balistidae — triggerfishes
- Diodontidae — porcupinefishes
- Molidae — ocean sunfishes
- Monacanthidae — filefishes
- Ostraciidae — boxfishes
- Tetraodontidae — pufferfishes
- Triacanthidae — triplespines
- Triacanthodidae — spikefishes
- Triodontidae — Threetooth puffer
Triggerfish, pufferfish, boxfish, filefish, cowfish, enormous weird sunfish…there is such a realm of wonder, beauty, and ichthyological fascination among these groups that it is hard to know where to start (although the Mola mola, which I have written about, is a pretty good headliner). The intelligent, colorful, and truculent triggerfish (Balistidae), in particular, are the source of endless delight.
I will write more about all of these in turn, but, before we get into that, it is worth highlighting some shared features of the Tetraodontiformes. These fish tend to have extremely rigid bodies which means they move differently from the quicksilver darting which other fish employ. They rely on fluttering their pectoral, dorsal, anal, and caudal fins to move (comparatively) slowly, albeit with extreme precision. Most Tetraodontiformes are masters of armor or other defensive mechanisms (toxins, spines, pop-up bone locks, and, um, self-inflation). Because of their tropical reef lifestyle and the nature of their defenses these fish often tend to be extraordinarily colorful.
Now is not the time to get into the details of all of these fish. Today’s post is mostly a teaser of things to come…but believe me, it will be worth it. The Tetraodontiformes are truly astonishing. Their colors and patterns do not just put most artists to shame, they put most 1980s artists to shame. And their vivid beauty and astonishing appearance isn’t even the most amazing thing about them. Stay tuned!
Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) photo by
Today we bask in the tropical glory of a brilliantly colored (albeit temperamental) fish from my favorite family of fish, the Balistidae. This is the orange-lined triggerfish (Balistapus undulates). This aggressive reef fish is the only member of its genus (possibly because it attacked and destroyed all of its relatives). It lives throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific with all manner of horrifying sharks, marine crocodiles, and fishing humans, but it seems to care little and is noted not just for its extravagant color but also for its brash highly territorial character.
Balistapus undulatus (from fishes of Australia.net)
The orange-lined triggerfish is an omnivore. It mostly eats invertebrates such as mollusks, sponges, echinoderms, and corals (the fish crunches off the rocklike coral tips with its fearsome beak—which it also uses to bite through mollusk shells) but, when the opportunity arises it also eats marine algae and other fish. When it takes bites out of divers it is probably defending its territory and not expanding its diet. Triggerfish have eyes which move independently of each other so they can keep track of everything going on in their lively reef habitats. For the same reason, they have excellent color vision. They are long-lived and clever. Different individuals have different personalities and habits.
Balistapus undulatus off the Similan Islands of Thailand (photo by Thierry Rakotoarivelo)
The fish is green with brilliant orange stripes and orange/yellow translucent fins. It grows to 30 centimeters (1 foot) long. Like other triggerfish, it has a powerful erectile spine in its dorsal fin. This spine lies in a groove in the fish’s body but can be locked in place when the fish is threatened. If the fish is in open water this means that a predator must swallow a nasty spike, but if the triggerfish is near coral or rocks (which it nearly always is) it can wedge itself beneath and then lock itself inextricably in place. A predator must try to pull the triggerfish out while contending with the sharp beak.
The juvenile orange-lined triggerfish is triangular so that it is unpleasant to swallow and even more effective at wedging itself in crevices
ferrebeekeeper 