Giant triggerfish
| Giant triggerfish | ||||||||||||
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Giant triggerfish ( Balistoides viridescens ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Balistoides viridescens | ||||||||||||
| Bloch & Schneider , 1801 |
The giant triggerfish ( Balistoides viridescens ), also known as the titanium triggerfish , is one of the largest species within the triggerfish family (Balistidae). The fish live in the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific from the coast of South Africa to Japan , the Line Islands , Tuamotu and New Caledonia . Giant triggerfish reach a length of around 75 centimeters and a weight of ten kilograms.
Way of life
Giant triggerfish live individually or in pairs in lagoons or on outer reefs. Their food consists of hard corals , especially the knotty and prickly Acropora and Pocillopora species, which it breaks off the stick with its powerful teeth, from starfish , sea urchins, also long-spiked diadem sea urchins , snails , bristle worms , mussels , algae and detritus . Prey hidden in the sand is exposed with a powerful jet of water from its mouth. They drag larger boulders away with their powerful jaws to get to the prey hidden there. The animals defend their territory very vigorously in the event of disturbances. The giant triggerfish shows this behavior after it has finished building its nest, which it lays on the ground and which can reach a diameter of almost two meters and a depth of 75 centimeters.
Behavior towards people
Giant pushers are usually peaceful and disinterested with people outside of the breeding season. During the breeding season, the fish also defend their clutch against people who come too close. Before the attack, the animal threatens by turning half a body around its longitudinal axis and swimming on its side. If the intruder does not withdraw, he will be attacked. This can lead to serious injuries because of the strong teeth, size and strength of the animals. In the literature, a minimum distance of 15 meters from the clutch is recommended. It is also not recommended to swim over the nest or to withdraw as a diver when the fish make threatening gestures.
There are also known cases of animals that were injured by divers in provoked attacks and then attacked people outside the breeding season. However, this behavior is the exception.
Giant pusher than food fish
Eating giant pusher can lead to ciguatera , poisoning by ciguatoxin . This poison gets into the fish through food and is increasingly accumulated in the food chain.
literature
- Robert A. Patzner, Horst Moosleitner: Non-Perciformes (non-perch-like) as well as butterfly and angelfish. Mergus, Melle 1999, ISBN 3-88244-116-X ( Mergus Sea Water Atlas. Volume 6).
- Dieter Eichler: Recognizing dangerous marine animals. 2nd Edition. BLV, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-405-16992-5 .
Web links
- Giant triggerfish on Fishbase.org (English)