Titan Triggerfish

ID points

• Large and heavily built, dark green to yellow-brown
• A dark band above the mouth, like a moustache
• Charges divers who come close while guarding its nest

Basics

Family

Balistidae

Length

50–75 cm

Depth

1-50 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs

Distribution

Coral reefs and reef slopes from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific

Diet

Coral, sea urchins, molluscs

Easily confused with

TriggerfishEyes set high and far back on the head, well away from the mouthYellow-margin TriggerfishAll fins edged in a bright yellow marginClown TriggerfishA patch of large round white spots on the belly

Fun fact

The titan triggerfish is the largest of the triggerfishes, reaching 75 cm in length. During the breeding season the female digs a nest in the sand, lays her eggs there and defends the site with startling aggression, charging any diver who enters the cone of water above it and inflicting serious bites. Experienced divers swim away sideways rather than upwards, because the defended cone rises vertically.

More in this family

• Pink-tail Triggerfish