Fun Queen Triggerfish Facts For Kids

Christian Mba
Apr 28, 2023 By Christian Mba
Originally Published on Aug 05, 2021
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Fact-checked by Ambuj Tripathi
Queen Triggerfish facts about the species found in the Eastern Atlantic and Western Atlantic Oceans are interesting.
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 4.7 Min

Queen Triggerfish (Balistes vetula) is also called an old wife and Cochino. This species ranges from the Northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil in the western Atlantic and Ascension to Angola in the eastern Atlantic. They are native to the Atlantic Ocean. Their range is up to 902 ft (274 m) deep into the ocean and are usually found along rocky bottoms or coral reefs.  They can be kept in aquariums but their aquariums need to be large. This species can be identified by the caudal peduncle and blue submarginal bands on their median fins. The breeding season in this species is around a year. These fish are known to use their head and adapt to the color of their surroundings.

In the wild, this fish species prey on starfish, urchins, bivalves crabs, sea cucumbers, and several other aquatic creatures. Here are some fun facts about the Queen Triggerfish species. Afterward, do check our other articles on these peacock cichlid facts and midas blenny facts.

Queen Triggerfish Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Queen Triggerfish?

Queen Triggerfish (Balistes vetula) is a fish belonging to the family Balistidae. These fish sleep during the night. These fish are known as ornamental fish.

What class of animal does a Queen Triggerfish belong to?

Queen Triggerfish belongs to the fish class of animals. These fish belong to the Balistidae family.

How many Queen Triggerfishes are there in the world?

The total population of Queen Triggerfish in the world is currently unknown. Since many of them are kept in aquariums, counting them is difficult.

Where does a Queen Triggerfish live?

Queen Triggerfish live in the ocean. They are also kept in aquariums and tanks.

What is a Queen Triggerfish's habitat?

Queen Triggerfish's habitat comprises rocky or coral areas of the ocean. They also prefer to live in reefs. They are found in areas with sandy and grassy habitats. They use crevices in the ocean to hide out when in danger. Their habitat can be recreated in an aquarium.

Who does Queen Triggerfishes live with?

Queen Triggerfish are territorial fishes. They do not like to share their territory with other Queen Triggerfishes besides their mate. Thus, one can say they live in pairs.

How long does a Queen Triggerfish live?

Queen Triggerfish are short-lived fishes. They have an average lifespan of seven years. But they can live up to 13 years of age.

How do they reproduce?

Queen Triggerfish build nests for their young ones. Males of the Triggerfish Queen species create a hole in the sand with their fins and blow through their mouths. They establish their territory around this nest and defend it fiercely. Females are allowed to enter their territory for mating. After mating the eggs are laid in the nests and both parents protect the nest from predators.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the Queen Triggerfish is Near Threatened (NT).

Queen Triggerfish Fun Facts

What does Queen Triggerfish look like?

Queen Triggerfishes are mostly bright blue, purple, turquoise, yellow, and green. They have a yellow colored belt around their throat and head and a part of their underside is yellow as well. Their head and pectoral fins are covered with light blue bands. The blue bands extend from their head to the pectoral fins. They have a blue ring around their lips. The caudal peduncle and median fins are blue as well. Their dorsal fins have two spines. These dorsal fins are used to hook themselves at night. With the help of dorsal fins, they can stay straight and not move. These dorsal fins are useful for hiding.

Queen Triggerfish (Balistes vetula) is a fish belonging to the family Balistidae.

How cute are they?

Queen Triggerfish are tremendously cute. On a cute scale of 0-5, they are a solid 5. Their multicolored look is amazing and makes them a perfect attraction for aquariums.

How do they communicate?

Queen Triggerfish use pheromones for communication. These chemical signals can be transmitted and received simultaneously by this species. Apart from that, they produce certain sounds which are believed to be used for communication between themselves.

How big is a Queen Triggerfish?

Queen Triggerfish is a medium-sized fish species. Their length ranges between 8-20 in (20-50 cm). Their body is not measured in terms of height, but one can say they are up to two times bigger than a cat.

How fast can a Queen Triggerfish swim?

Queen Triggerfish are fast swimmers. They can swim at a remarkable speed of up to 8 mph (12 kph) per second.

How much does a Queen Triggerfish weigh?

Queen Triggerfish is a medium-sized fish. It can weigh up to 12 lb. Though most of the fish in their species do not weigh above 10 lb (4.5 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

No specific names are assigned to males and females of the Queen Triggerfish species. They are known as males and females respectively.

What would you call a baby Queen Triggerfish?

A baby Queen Triggerfish is known as a larva.

What do they eat?

Queen Triggerfish eat many sea creatures such as benthic invertebrates, sea urchins, macroalgae, bivalves, crabs, starfish, sea cucumbers, shrimp, and polychaetes. The juveniles eat small sea urchins.

Are they dangerous?

Queen Triggerfish are commonly very shy. But if humans try to go near their nests, these fish will bite with their sharp teeth. Queen Triggerfish teeth are sharp enough to cut through diving suits.

Would they make a good pet?

Queen Triggerfish are allowed as aquarium fish in saltwater aquariums. They are beautiful and rare nowadays. They make excellent pets.

Did you know...

Queen Triggerfish can make a throbbing sound that can be heard by all fish.

Queen Triggerfish and humans

Queen Triggerfish can be kept as pets in saltwater aquariums. They can be fed small fish. Queen Triggerfish edible status means that they can be easily consumed by humans.

Why is Queen Triggerfish endangered?

The Queen Triggerfish has been put under the vulnerable category since 2007. Their fishing led to a reduction in the population of this species making them endangered.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these orchid Dottyback facts, or milkfish facts.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Queen Triggerfish coloring pages.

Queen Triggerfish Facts

What Did They Prey On?

Benthic invertebrates, sea urchins, macroalgae

What Type of Animal were they?

Carnivore

Average Litter Size?

N/A

How Much Did They Weigh?

3-10 lb (1-4 kg)

What habitat Do they Live In?

rocky bottoms and coral reef

Where Do They Live?

gulf of mexico

How Long Were They?

8-20 in (20-50 cm)

How Tall Were They?

N/A

Class

Actinopterygii

Genus

Balistes

Family

Balistidae

Scientific Name

Balistes vetula

What Do They Look Like?

Bright blue, purple, turquoise, green, yellow

Skin Type

Scales

What Are Their Main Threats?

large fish

What is their Conservation Status?

Vulnerable
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Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balistes_vetula

https://fishbase.net.br/summary/Balistes-vetula.html

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/balistes-vetula/

https://biologydictionary.net/triggerfish/

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Written by Christian Mba

Bachelor of Science specializing in Computer Science

Christian Mba picture

Christian MbaBachelor of Science specializing in Computer Science

Christian Mba is an experienced blogger and content writer with over a decade of experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Nigeria and has a keen interest in Python programming. Along with his writing and blogging expertise, he is also an SEO specialist with more than six years of experience. Chris, as he is commonly known, has a passion for music and enjoys playing the piano.

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