Sealife guideThe Tetraodontiformes orderThe taxonomy of marine species
Explore the taxonomy of the sea vertebrates including the cetaceans like the whales or the dolphins, the sea birds, the fish, the sharks and the sea turtles !
The family Balistidae includes marine fish known as triggerfish, found mainly in tropical and subtropical seas. They are characterized by their laterally compressed bodies, prominent snouts and, above all, their remarkable defense system: a dorsal spine they can lock in place like a trigger to wedge themselves firmly into rock crevices. Their powerful jaws, equipped with robust teeth, allow them to crush the shells of mollusks, sea urchins and the carapaces of crustaceans. Triggerfish are also intriguing for their behavior—sometimes curious toward divers, yet highly territorial, especially during the breeding season. With their stocky bodies and often striking color patterns combining lines, spots and vivid contrasts, they are among the most emblematic and recognizable species of tropical reefs.

Black triggerfishMelichthys niger

Blue throated triggerfishXanthichthys auromarginatus

Gray triggerfishBalistes capriscus

Ocean triggerfishCanthidermis sufflamen

Orange striped triggerfishBalistapus undulatus

Picasso triggerfishRhinecanthus aculeatus

Pinktail triggerfishMelichthys vidua

Queen triggerfishBalistes vetula

Redtooth triggerfishOdonus niger

Sargassum triggerfishXanthichthys ringens

Titan triggerfishBalistoides viridescens

Wedgetail triggerfishRhinecanthus rectangulus

Yellow-spotted triggerfishPseudobalistes fuscus

Yellowmargin triggerfishPseudobalistes flavimarginatus
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Dugong
(Dugong dugon)
(Dugong dugon)


