Ocean triggerfish (Canthidermis sufflamen)
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Canthidermis sufflamen
- Common name
- Ocean triggerfish
- Category
- Fish
- Family
- Balistidae
- Genus
- Canthidermis
- Size
- 30–65 cm
- Depth
- 5–50 m
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
- Danger level
- Harmless
- Habitats
- open-water, rocky-reef
- Behaviours
- schooling
- Ocean zones
- Caribbean, Macaronesia, Eastern Pacific
Description
Canthidermis sufflamen reaches 65 cm. Large robust triggerfish gray-brown to olive with yellow-greenish mark at pectoral fin base (hence name). Lives in open water and above rocky drop-offs from 5 to 50 m in warm-temperate to tropical Atlantic (Macaronesia, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico). More pelagic than other triggerfish. Sometimes imposing schools around FADs and wrecks. Crusher teeth for crustaceans and mollusks. Spectacular encounters in Cape Verde and Canaries.
Frequently asked questions
- How big is the Ocean triggerfish?
- Ocean triggerfish (Canthidermis sufflamen) reaches 30–65 cm in length.
- At what depth can you find the Ocean triggerfish?
- Ocean triggerfish is found between 5–50 m deep.
- Is the Ocean triggerfish dangerous to divers?
- Danger level: Harmless.
- What is the conservation status of the Ocean triggerfish?
- IUCN status: Least concern (LC).
- Where can you find the Ocean triggerfish?
- Found in: Caribbean, Macaronesia, Eastern Pacific.
Other species in the genus Canthidermis
Other species in the family Balistidae
- Balistes vetula - Queen triggerfish
- Sufflamen bursa - Scythe triggerfish
- Rhinecanthus aculeatus - Picasso triggerfish
- Balistapus undulatus - Orange-lined triggerfish
- Odonus niger - Redtoothed triggerfish
- Pseudobalistes naufragium - Stone triggerfish
Sources
- Taxonomy: WoRMS (AphiaID 127399)
- Photos: iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)
- Distribution: GBIF (taxonKey 2407087)
- Conservation: IUCN Red List
- Encyclopedia: Wikipedia