Titan Triggerfish [Bandos Island Reef, Kaafu Atoll, Maldives, Asia] .
Triggerfishes are brightly colored fish of the family Balistidae. Triggerfish have a roundish, laterally flat body with an anterior dorsal fin often marked by lines and spots. They can erect the first two dorsal spines: the first one locks and the second one unlocks. This prevents predators from swallowing them or pulling them out of their holes. This locking and unlocking behaviour is why they are named 'triggerfish'. They have a small pectoral fin, fused to one spine. The spine of the triggerfish can be held in place by a second spine to make the fish more threatening to the predator. Their small eyes, situated on top of their large head, can be rotated independently. They have tough skin, covered with rough rhomboid-shaped scales that form a tough armour on their body. A big, angular-shaped head extends into a snout with strong jaws and sharp teeth, made for crushing shells. Each jaw contains a row of eight teeth, while the upper jaw contains another set of six plate-like teeth. The titan triggerfish, Balistoides viridescens, is the largest of the triggerfish species and can grow up to 75 cm in length (30 inches). Their range includes reef areas in the Indo-Pacific region, including Australia, Fiji, Thailand, Indonesia and the Maldives, also in the Red Sea. The fish is not a pelagic species and generally lives in the flat areas of the reef. Titan triggerfish feed on shellfish, urchins, crustaceans and coral. They are the workers of the reef, often being busy turning over rocks, stirring up the sand and biting off pieces of branching coral. This is why one often sees other smaller fish species around it who feed from the left overs. The fish can be very aggressive towards divers and snorkellers. Especially during reproduction season it is very territorial and will guard its nest, which it lays in a flat sandy area, vigorously against any intruders and can inflict serious injury. This photograph is part of the Imagine Collection, hosted by Alamy.
Size: 4771px × 3579px
Location: Bandos Island Reef, Kaafu Atoll, Maldives, Asia. .
Photo credit: © Al Pidgen / Imagine Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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