They also come in different sizes, the biggest being the stone triggerfish which is a metre long – not one for your fish tank at home! The 40 species of triggerfish are scattered throughout the world’s seas and are familiar to divers and aquarium aficionados.
In reality, however, the mouth is small, as in other triggerfish. Different types of triggerfish have different appearances.
Some have stripes and others spots, some are blue whilst others may be black, yellow, grey or white. Melichthys niger and Melichthys indicus are similar in appearance and are often confused.
I recommend that you grill triggerfish fillets that are about an inch thick so that it would cook faster.
Melichthys is a small genus in the triggerfish family .
It is fished recreationally and despite its tough skin, is an excellent food-fish.
The Picasso’s pelvic fins are reduced to a small projection under the body, and it is a slow, slightly clumsy swimmer. Triggerfish, any of about 30 species of shallow-water marine fishes of the family Balistidae, found worldwide in tropical seas. Member species are found in the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and even the Red Sea ( M. niger ).
Clown Triggerfish
They are always restlessly swimming around and can vigorously protect their territory against intruders, including divers, especially when guarding their eggs during reproduction season.
Their common name refers to the triggering mechanism in
In its appearance and habits, the grey triggerfish is a typical member of the genus Balistes except for its drab, uniformly grey colouration. The Black triggerfish is the largest species in this genus at 45 cm in length and the Indian triggerfish is the smallest at 25 cm. Triggerfishes are rather deep-bodied, usually colourful fishes with large scales, small mouths, and high-set eyes. It should not take more than 5 minutes to cook one side of triggerfish when it is grilled. Grilling triggerfish would be a good idea because you can enjoy the smoky flavor of the fish.
Lagoon triggerfish live in the reefs and sandy areas of coral reefs where it eats just about everything that comes along. It is a relatively small fish, usually less than 2.3 kg (5 lb) in weight. This triggerfish often grunts, especially when being caught.