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Today on Animal Fact Files, we’re talking about triggerfish. There’s lots to learn, be sure to subscribe! Thank you to jfstudios jellyfish boy for today’s suggestion. Many people are most familiar with the reef triggerfish thanks to its impressive common name, humu-humu-nuku-nuku-apua’a, but there are currently more than 40 described triggerfish species. These fish are typically found around coral reefs, and they live in tropical and warm temperate waters around the world. They get their common name triggerfish from their sturdy dorsal spine. A triggerfish can make the spine stand up and lock into place so that it can’t be pushed down until the triggerfish releases it via the second “trigger” spine. Triggerfish use their large dorsal spine as a means of defense against predators by wedging themselves into a crevice and erecting the spine. This makes them pretty much impossible to pull out of a hole, so predators like sharks just tend to give up. Triggerfish also have pretty tough skin and they can make sounds potentially to warn other triggerfish in the area that danger is afoot… or… well… afin I suppose.

Triggerfish are usually diurnal and are considered benthic because they peruse the ocean floor for meals. Their mouths come equipped with teeth ready to take on sea urchins, crabs, worms, mollusks, fish, coral, and more. Sometimes triggerfish will even try to take a bite out of divers, though this usually happens when they’re protecting their nest. Triggerfish will construct a nest on the ocean floor in which the female will lay her eggs. The male will fertilize the eggs and then the female will stay with them until they hatch. Sometimes the male helps protect the nest, but it’s been suggested that it’s more beneficial for males to move on so they can mate with other females. While a female protects her nest from intruders, she’ll also circulate the water within the nest by slowly blowing on and fanning the eggs with her fins. When they hatch, she may continue to watch over them or she may go find another mate if there’s still time within the breeding season - this can largely depend on the species. Triggerfish are usually pretty solitary unless it’s the breeding season at which point they may travel in small groups. At full size, the largest triggerfish species, the stone triggerfish, can reach more than three feet (91 centimeters) in length, though closer to a foot (30.5 centimeters) is the average, and they may live to be older than a decade.

Triggerfish are pretty distinct from other fish thanks to their unique anatomy. They look top heavy with their fins appearing so far back on their bodies. These fins are their main means of movement, though they’ll flap their tails if they need to make a quick escape. Triggerfish also come in an array of colors which makes them favorable to many divers and aquarists. I think it’s the eyes - which, by the way, they can move independently from one another kind of like a chameleon.

For more facts on triggerfish, check out the links in the description. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files.