The queen triggerfish is distinguished by its bright yellow coloration that shifts to olive green on its back, with numerous metallic blue lines on its head and fins. Its mouth is outlined by a bluish line, while two other bluish lines look like mustaches extending down to the base of its pectoral fins. Thin bluish bands radiate around its eyes, bluish edges border its fins and a blue stripe crosses the base of its tail.

The queen triggerfish has a first dorsal spine that it can lock into place with a second spine, working like a trigger mechanism. This amazing adaptation allows it to wedge itself tightly into a rocky crevice to protect itself from predators or to resist strong currents. The queen triggerfish also has very powerful jaws with strong teeth and well-developed jaw muscles, enabling it to crush the shells of mollusks or the carapaces of crustaceans.

The queen triggerfish is found across a very wide area of the Atlantic ocean. On the western Atlantic coast, it ranges from the temperate waters of Massachusetts in the north down to the tropical coasts of Brazil in the south, including the Gulf of Mexico and the many islands of the Caribbean sea. On the eastern Atlantic side, it occurs around several oceanic archipelagos such as the Azores, Ascension island and Cape Verde and further south along the coasts of Angola.

The queen triggerfish mainly inhabits reef and rocky zones where it finds both shelter and food. It is especially fond of coral reefs rich in hiding places, which it uses both to protect itself from predators and to sleep, wedging itself into a crevice with its dorsal spine.

The queen triggerfish is usually found down to about 100 feet deep but can live much deeper, to around 900 feet.

The queen triggerfish is a carnivorous species that feeds mainly on benthic invertebrates. Its diet consists mostly of sea urchins, crabs, mollusks and other hard-shelled organisms. To reach these prey, it uses a remarkable variety of techniques: it can bite directly, suck, manipulate prey in its mouth, or even use a jet of water to flip sea urchins and expose their more vulnerable underside.

With the help of its powerful jaws, the queen triggerfish is capable of crushing thick shells, making it a formidable predator of coral and rocky bottoms. By regulating sea urchin populations, it plays an essential role in maintaining the balance of coral reefs.

The queen triggerfish is an oviparous species. Using its fins or by blowing jets of water, it digs a circular nest in the sand, often in shallow reef areas. The female lays her eggs there, which are then fertilized and fiercely guarded by the male. During this period, the male becomes highly territorial and does not hesitate to chase away potential intruders, including divers.

The queen triggerfish is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The queen triggerfish appears in the IUCN Red List since 2015 within the category Near Threatened !