Details
Balistoides viridescens
The titan triggerfish is a large reef triggerfish with powerful jaws. It crushes hard-shelled prey and fiercely defends the nest area during breeding.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It uses reef flats, slopes, and sandy patches on coral reefs across the Pacific, the Indian Ocean. It favors bottoms where it can dig for prey near shelter.
Length 50-75 cm; weight 3 kg-6 kg. A deep body, large head, rough scales, and yellow-tinged fins give it a robust look. The strong mouth and teeth can handle shells, urchins, and coral rubble.
Diurnal and solitary, it often moves while digging or blowing at the bottom. Breeding adults defend eggs aggressively against nearby fishes and divers.
A carnivore, it feeds on urchins, mollusks, crustaceans, and worms. It exposes hidden prey by shifting sand and rubble.
Adults prepare shallow nests in sand and deposit eggs there. A guarding parent fans the eggs and defends the nest until hatching.
It is listed as Least Concern, though local populations can still be affected by habitat change, collection, or pollution.
