Many divers out there will recognize this peculiar looking and notorious fish. The Titan Trigger Fish or Balistoides viridescens can be seen on most indo pacific reefs as well as the Red Sea, Thailand and beyond. It is one of the largest of the trigger fish species reaching lengths of up to 75cm. Divers are normally amazed by its strength as it moves rocks and breaks off branching corals to find sea urchins, molluscs and crustaceans to feed upon.
The Titan Trigger is a solitary creature sometimes seen in pairs. However, when it is feeding many fish of different species loiter around waiting for food whilst it lifts rocks and stirs up sand.
Perhaps the Titan Trigger is more known for its territorial behaviour whilst nesting.
Normally, the Titan Trigger is cautious of divers and will either swim away or continue minding its own business and ignore the divers completely. However, during mating season the female becomes extremely territorial and protects her nest with ferocity. The nests are usually found in areas of flat sand taking the form of a circular dip surrounded by small rocks. Her territory is conically shaped getting wider towards the top. Divers are therefore advised to swim away backwards, horizontally, and low should they find themselves fleeing from her wrath. Her bite is not venomous, however her teeth and jaw are normally used to crunch rocks and corals, so divers can receive a nasty wound if bitten.
The reassuring thing is that Trigger fish have a built-in warning system to inform divers that they are annoyed in advance. Their dorsal fin, which normally lays flat, becomes vertically erect like the trigger of a gun, hence the name. Sometimes the fish will roll over onto her side and take a good look at the diver before swimming defensively and quickly towards them
Titan Trigger Fish are strange but beautiful. They have large googly eyes which rotate and stare. Their markings are distinctive with a black area and yellow spots reaching from the eyes and down to the pectoral fins. The fins seem to move in ripples when the fish is stationary.
Although many divers are not fans of this territorial fish, the Scuba Dive Online team have all admitted that it is one of the most interesting fish to watch during a dive, provided of course it isn’t mating season! You may be lucky enough to encounter one on your PADI Open Water Course.
If you would like to know where you can dive with Titan Trigger Fish, the Scuba Dive Online team can recommend several destination worldwide where Titan Trigger Fish are most commonly seen. Visit the destinations page on our website.