Grey triggerfish

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Grey triggerfish
Pez ballesta (Balistes capriscus), Parque natural de la Arrabida, Portugal, 2020-07-23, DD 24.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Family: Balistidae
Genus: Balistes
Species:
B. capriscus
Binomial name
Balistes capriscus
Synonyms [2]
List
    • Balistes buniva Lacepède, 1803
    • Balistes caprinus Valenciennes, 1839
    • Balistes capriscus Gronow, 1854
    • Balistes carolinensis Gronow, 1854
    • Balistes forcipatus Gmelin, 1789
    • Balistes fuliginosus DeKay, 1842
    • Balistes moribundus Cope, 1871
    • Balistes powellii Cope, 1870
    • Balistes spilotopterygius Walbaum, 1792
    • Balistes taeniopterus Poey, 1860
    • Nematobalistes forcipatus (Gmelin, 1789)

The grey triggerfish (Balistes capriscus), or gray triggerfish, is a species of ray-finned fish in the triggerfish family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. The species is native to shallow parts of the western Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Argentina and also the eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and off Angola on the west coast of Africa.

Contents

In its appearance and habits, the grey triggerfish is a typical member of the genus Balistes except for its drab, uniformly grey colouration. It is a relatively small fish, usually less than 2.3 kg (5.1 lb) in weight. It is fished recreationally and despite its tough skin, is an excellent food-fish. [3] The species is classified as ‘vulnerable’ by the IUCN Red List.

Taxonomy

The grey triggerfish was first formally described in 1789ny Johann Friedrich Gmelin with its type locality given as the Western North Atlantic, the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. [4] This species is classified in the genus Balistes which is the type genus of the family Balistidae, a family classified in the suborder Balistoidei in the order Tetraodontiformes. [5]

Etymology

The grey triggerfish is classified in the genus Balistes, a name which refers to the first spine of the dorsal fin being locked in place by the erection of the shorter second trigger spine, and unlocked by depressing the second spine. Balistes is taken directly from the Italian pesca ballista, the "crossbow fish". Ballista originally being a machine for throwing arrows. The specific name capriscusis Latin for a "small goat", an allusion Gmelin did not explain, and it is likely to be a mistranslation of its Greek name dating to Aristotle, kápros, which means "boar" or kaprískos. its diminutive, an allusion to its sharp, powerful and perhaps also to a boar-like ferocity, as described by the Roman author and naturalist Claudius Aelianus in De Natura Animalium, “they fight even with fish of greater bulk and with the most skilled fishermen”. [6]

Description

Balistes capriscus Madeira Druckerfisch Kuste Funchal 5-07.JPG
Balistes capriscus

The grey triggerfish is a medium-sized fish that can grow to 60 cm (24 in), but a more common length is 44 cm (17 in). The small beak-like mouth at the tip of the snout has fleshy lips. The eyes are set far back near the top of the head. The body is laterally compressed and deep-bodied with a tough, leathery skin. The front dorsal fin has three spines, the first being very strong and much longer than the other two. The second dorsal fin has 26 to 29 soft rays and is much the same size and shape as the anal fin directly below it which has no spines and 23 to 26 soft rays. The pectoral fins are small and rounded. The outer rays of the caudal fin are elongated in larger individuals. The scales on the head and front half of the body are large while those on the hind half are smaller and smooth. [7] [8]

This fish is predominantly pale grey, greenish-grey or yellowish-brown. The body has three indistinct broad dark bars and there is a pale streak on the chin. The upper part of the orbit of the eye is blue and there are some small blue spots and lines on the dorsal fins and upper parts of the body, and sometimes white dots and irregular lines on the lower parts of the body. Both the second dorsal and the anal fin present a somewhat marbled appearance. The body colour fades a little as the animal gets older: juveniles are more colourful. [7] [8]

Distribution and habitat

School of grey triggerfish on the Berlengas archipelago, Portugal Cardume peixe porco Berlengas.jpg
School of grey triggerfish on the Berlengas archipelago, Portugal

The grey triggerfish is principally a fish of shallow waters in the western Atlantic Ocean. Its native range extends from Nova Scotia to the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and Bermuda, and southwards to Argentina. It is typically found over hard bottoms on reefs and rocky areas, in lagoons and in bays, at depths down to about 55 m (180 ft). It is also found on the other side of the Atlantic, around the British Isles, in the Mediterranean Sea and off the coast of Angola. [8] It may have crossed the Atlantic as a result of the movement of water in the Gulf Stream and breeds in the Mediterranean. [9]

Once considered to be an uncommon visitor to northern European seas, an increase in records around the Cornish coast, may indicate it is now breeding there; [10] in addition, it has been found in other areas along the coast of Great Britain in recent years, suggesting that its range is continuing to expand northwards, with one caught as far north as the island of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. [11]

Behaviour

Locomotion in the grey triggerfish is by means of undulations of the dorsal fins. If threatened, the fish can work its way into a protective crevice and wedge itself in place by erecting its front dorsal spine. It is difficult to dislodge from this position. The second spine is connected to the first and when it is depressed, it triggers the unlocking of the first spine. [8]

The grey triggerfish is a demersal species and feeds on bottom-dwelling invertebrates such as shrimps, crabs, molluscs, sea urchins, sand dollars, starfish and sea cucumbers. It has strong teeth specialised for making holes in hard-shelled prey. An interesting feeding behaviour has been observed, in which the fish positions itself vertically above a sandy seabed and puffs a stream of water out of its mouth. This disturbs the substrate and may reveal something edible. Further puffs expose more, and the prey item is gripped with the fish's sharp teeth and removed from the seabed. [12] If it is a sand dollar, the fish drops it and picks it up again several times until the prey lands upside down. The fish then adopts its vertical stance once more and attacks the middle with closed jaws, crushing the soft central area. It then scoops out and devours the flesh. [8]

Males develop a charcoal grey colouration and are highly territorial during the breeding season, which commences in summer when the water temperature reaches about 21 °C (70 °F). The males prepare up to a dozen nests in hollows blown out of sandy seabed [13] and then patrol the area, driving unwanted fish away. The females roam around inspecting the nest sites. When a female is ready to spawn, both male and female enter a nest and tightly circle round each other while she lays large numbers of minute eggs and he fertilises them. The female stays in the nest, guarding the eggs and blowing and fanning them. The male defends his territory, which may contain other nests with females guarding their eggs. In this way, the male exhibits harem behaviour. [14] Wrasses and red snappers sometimes feed on the eggs which, if they survive that long, hatch after about fifty hours. The fish larvae migrate up towards the surface of the water where they often become part of the community depending on floating sargassum weed. There they feed on algae, barnacles, hydroids and polychaete worms. In the autumn, when they reach about 15 cm (6 in), the juvenile fish leave the sargassum and sink down to the sea bed. [8]

Recreational fishing

Sketch of grey triggerfish Triggerfish-Gray-NOAAFisheries.png
Sketch of grey triggerfish

The grey triggerfish is fished recreationally around Florida and elsewhere. It is known as a notorious bait stealer and is found over hard bottom in 20 to 40 m (66 to 131 ft) depths off the Atlantic Coast of Florida, often in association with black sea bass and red snapper. Because of its bony mouth it needs a small sharp hook which is usually baited with squid or cut bait. [15] The flesh is of high quality but the consumption of this fish has been linked to isolated cases of ciguatera poisoning. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triggerfish</span> Family of ray-finned fishes

Triggerfish are about 40 species of often brightly colored marine rey-finned fishes belonging to the family Balistidae. Often marked by lines and spots, they inhabit tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the world, with the greatest species richness in the Indo-Pacific. Most are found in relatively shallow, coastal habitats, especially at coral reefs, but a few, such as the oceanic triggerfish, are pelagic. While several species from this family are popular in the marine aquarium trade, they are often notoriously ill-tempered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clown triggerfish</span> Species of fish

The clown triggerfish, also known as the bigspotted triggerfish, is a demersal marine fish belonging to the family Balistidae, or commonly called triggerfish.

<i>Abalistes</i> Genus of fishes

Abalistes is a small genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. These triggerfishes are found in the Indo-Pacific and eastern Atlantic. This genus contains two recognised species.

<i>Abalistes stellatus</i> Species of fish

Abalistes stellatus, the starry triggerfish or flat-tailed triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. This triggerfish has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange-lined triggerfish</span> Species of fish

The orange-lined triggerfish, also known as the orangestripe triggerfish, red-lined triggerfish, striped triggerfish or vermiculated triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. This species is the only species in the monospecific genus Balistapus, which is closely related to the genus Balistoides, if that genus is reclassified as a monospecific genus with the clown triggerfish as its only species. The orange-lined triggerfish has a wide Indo-Pacific range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sargassum fish</span> Species of fish

The sargassum fish, anglerfish, or frog fish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes, the only species in the genus Histrio. It lives among Sargassum seaweed which floats in subtropical oceans. The scientific name comes from the Latin histrio meaning a stage player or actor and refers to the fish's feeding behaviour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gray angelfish</span> Species of fish

The gray angelfish, also written as grey angelfish and known in Jamaica as the pot cover, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the marine angelfish family, Pomacanthidae. It is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scrawled cowfish</span> Species of fish

The scrawled cowfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. This species is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Balistes</i> Genus of fishes

Balistes is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. The triggerfishes in this genus are found in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific Ocean.

<i>Balistes vetula</i> Species of fish

Balistes vetula, the queen triggerfish or old wife, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the triggerfish family, Balistidae. This species is found in the Atlantic Ocean. It is occasionally caught as a gamefish, and sometimes kept in very large marine aquaria.

<i>Xanthichthys ringens</i> Species of fish

Xanthichthys ringens, the Sargassum triggerfish, is a species of triggerfish from the Western Atlantic, ranging from North Carolina (USA) to Brazil.

<i>Balistes punctatus</i> Species of fish

Balistes punctatus, the bluespotted triggerfish or spotted triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. This species occurs in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean off the Western coast of Africa.

<i>Aracana aurita</i> Species of fish

Aracana aurita, Shaw's cowfish, painted boxfish, Southern cowfish or striped cowfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. This species is endemic to the seas off southern Australia.

<i>Canthidermis maculata</i> Species of fish

Canthidermis maculata, also known as rough triggerfish or spotted oceanic triggerfish, is a species of triggerfish native to the tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. Unlike most triggerfish, they are mostly pelagic.

<i>Triacanthus biaculeatus</i> Species of fish

Triacanthus biaculeatus, also known as the short-nosed tripod fish, black-finned triple-spine, blacktail tripodfish, hollow-snouted tripodfish or silver tripodfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triacanthidae, the triplespines or tripodfishes. This species is found in the Indo-West Pacific region.

<i>Abalistes filamentosus</i> Species of fish

Abalistes filamentosus, the hairfin triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. It is found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean and in subtropical waters. It lives in the Pelagic-Neritic zone of the ocean between 61–180 meters deep. It is harmless to humans.

<i>Anoplocapros lenticularis</i> Species of fish

Anoplocapros lenticularis, the white-barred boxfish, flame boxfish, high-backed boxfish, humpback boxfish, humpty dumpty or smooth boxfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. This fish is endemic to the seas of southern and western Australia.

<i>Dibranchus atlanticus</i> Species of fish

The Atlantic batfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep-sea batfishes. It is found in deep water in the Atlantic Ocean where it lives on the seabed, feeding on small invertebrates.

<i>Balistes polylepis</i> Species of fish

Balistes polylepis, the finescale triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. This triggerfish is found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

<i>Canthidermis sufflamen</i> Species of triggerfish

Canthidermis sufflamen, the ocean triggerfish, is a species of pelagic triggerfish that can be found throughout the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, with its range extending as far north as Massachusetts and as far south as Brazil.

References

  1. ↑ Liu, J.; Zapfe, G.; Shao, K.-T.; et al. (2016) [errata version of 2015 assessment]. "Balistes capriscus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T193736A97662794. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  2. 1 2 Bailly, Nicolas (2013). "Balistes capriscus Gmelin, 1789". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 2014-02-20.
  3. ↑ Fisheries, NOAA (3 October 2023). "Gray Triggerfish | NOAA Fisheries". NOAA. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  4. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Balistes". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  5. ↑ "Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes Classification". Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  6. ↑ Christopher Scharpf (21 August 2024). "Order TETRAODONTIFORMES: Families MOLIDAE, BALISTIDAE, MONACANTHIDAE, ARACANIDAE and OSTRACIIDAE". Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  7. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Balistes capriscus". FishBase . June 2006 version.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bester, Cathleen. "Gray triggerfish". Florida Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
  9. ↑ Reeds, Kate (2008). "Trigger fish: Balistes capriscus". Marine Life Information Network . Retrieved 2014-02-20.
  10. ↑ Gainey, P A (2009). Marine and Estuarine Fish. In Red Data Book for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (2nd ed.). Praze-an-Beeble: Croceago Press. p. 553. ISBN   978-1-901685-01-5.
  11. ↑ "Triggerfish | British Sea Fishing". 2012-09-10. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  12. ↑ "Triggerfish, Gray". South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  13. ↑ Florida Museum of Natural History site
  14. ↑ Simmons, Carrie M.; Szedlmayer, Stephen T. (2012). "Territoriality, Reproductive Behavior, and Parental Care in Gray Triggerfish, Balistes capriscus, from the Northern Gulf of Mexico". Bulletin of Marine Science. 88 (2): 197–209. doi:10.5343/bms.2011.1012.
  15. ↑ "Gray triggerfish: Balistes capriscus". Fishing: Recreational regulations. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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