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Where are the triggerfish?

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.

James T

Well-Known Member
Apr 14, 2004
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All, here is a request for information from Doug Herdson the Information Officer at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth - He contacted us through our club - I am posting here to access a wider community. They keep records about the arrival departure and other stats on our summer visitor - The Grey Triggerfish....

Hi there,

Has anyone seen a Grey triggerfish (or any other triggerfish) yet this year? They seem to disappear each January and start being seen again from May on, but I have not yet heard of any this year. There have been a few basking sharks and sunfish are starting to turn up but where are the triggers? Please let me know of any below 10 cm you come across.

Cheers, Doug

Douglas Herdson
Information Officer
National Marine Aquarium
Rope Walk
Coxside
Plymouth PL4 0LF
UK

Telephone: (+44)01752 275216/01752 600301
Fax: (+44)01752 275217
Email: Douglas.Herdson@national-aquarium.co.uk
website Book Online and Save 20 % - National Marine Aquarium in Devon - Plymouth Attraction
To inspire everyone to enjoy, learn and care about our Oceans through amazing, memorable experiences.
 
Its an intriguing question - where do they come from and where do they go. No one seems to know. Also even though I have large shoals of these fish when spearing I have never seen any juveniles (say less than 20 cm.)
 
Diving a wreck tomorrow so will keep my eyes peel'd for one of the little chaps
 
Strange - after starting this thread I had my first Triggerfish yesterday in about 7m of water sheltering in a reef overhang. The normal size - about 2lbs and 35-40cm long. Now filleted and ready for eating by the family - nice tasting fish. They really are strange fish to look at.

Has anyone ever eaten the liver - they are always huge in Triggerfish - I wonder whether this is where the fish keeps all its oil like some of the non oily white fish do - e.g. Cod - Fish like Mackeral that are always on the move and fast keep the oil in their muscle tissue and hence do not keep such a store in the liver. Maybe I will try and let you know next time.
 
Hey JamesT, do you know if there is any incedence of Ciguatera in the livers of Triggerfish?
 
Ciguatera toxin is from fish where there is coral consumed. I've never heard of triggerfish livers used for anything but juicie bait.
 
slingshaft said:
Hey JamesT, do you know if there is any incedence of Ciguatera in the livers of Triggerfish?
Click to expand...

No idea - Ciguatera is not a problem we have had in the UK. But I don't want to be the exception which discovers it. These fish only come into our waters during the Summer - who knows where they have been during the rest of the year - munching away on Ciguatera rich coral reef somewhere in warmer seas.... Maybe I'll give my liver eating a miss this time

H. Lectur
 
Hey Dudes, Don't know which species you get up there, but some of them don't seem to be very good for your health when eaten due to there poisonous liver. whether the poison is related to ciguatera or high concentrations of vitamin-A i do not know.. Balistes vetula, Queen triggerfish: fisheries, gamefish, aquarium
Some are however important food fish such as the yellow leather jacket of Australia
Might help if you know which one you are eating?
 
Reactions: James T
The one we are talking about is Balistes Capriscus. Here is the link on fishbase Balistes capriscus, Grey triggerfish: fisheries, gamefish, aquarium

It says there is Ciguatera potential in these fish - but I have not heard of anyone in the UK having this problem - Spearos do eat quite alot of these over here - I guess because the foodstuff these fish feed on over here doesn't have the Ciguatera toxin in it. I think the reference for Ciguatera is from the British Virgin Islands by the look of it.

However does make the question of where these fish go in the winter a bit more interesting - could they travel far enough away to feed on something that might increase this risk. I don't know enough about Ciguatera to even weigh up the risk. But I will leave the livers alone - thanks for the link on the queen triggerfish and pointing out that there is a suspicion - it has watered down my enthusiasm for eating the liver.
 
We found them! Speared 8 Grey Triggerfish yesterday off Block Island, RI, USA. Can't wait to cook them up for dinner tonight! We also came to the conclusion yesterday that pound for pound, they are probably the toughest fish in the ocean!

Pictures should follow this post.

-John
 
They were close to shore on the Dorset coast this weekend, bigger than 10cm though. Fairly deep & only visible because of the fairly rare combination of relatively clear water & shining sun. I was told they get washed over from American/Gulf of Mexico on the Gulf stream -- judging by the drag the one I got caused on my float, I imagine they could "sail" on a current.

What's Doug's interest? Planning to get some for the Aquarium, research or food?! [I've got the filleted remains in the freeze, was planning to grind them up for lobster bait.]
 
X, I think Doug is conducting ongoing research on them regarding the migration, appearance, disappearnce patterns. The reference to them being less than 10cm I guess relates to breeding/spawning in our waters...
 
Mr.X you ain't kidding about the drag. At one point I had 4 of them, decent size, on my belt stringer, and I could barely move! Watch out for those teeth!

-John
 
agbiv said:
Ciguatera toxin is from fish where there is coral consumed. I've never heard of triggerfish livers used for anything but juicie bait.
Click to expand...
Somebody posted a recipe on this forum about 2 weeks ago which included using the liver of the fish (apparently fish liver looks like a blood clot).
Crazys13 said:
Mr.X you ain't kidding about the drag. At one point I had 4 of them, decent size, on my belt stringer, and I could barely move! Watch out for those teeth!
Click to expand...
Brave man! They're surprisingly heavy for their size too. I was almost back to shore after dragging it around for 2 hours on my float before remembering that I was wearing a belt stringer. Although, the last place I would have wanted to put the docile, "probably dispatched" trigger fish was close to my body; I read somewhere that they are related to pirahna.
 
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Heres a Video from Kerry, Ireland

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4dT0OI9KqU]YouTube - Can triggerfish be agressive underwater?[/ame]

Ive never seen one down torbay but they do look tastey
 
Reactions: Mr. X
Boy are they tastey! We had a pleasant summer evening dinner last night, grey triggerfish being the main course. Cooked it simply on the grill: olive oil, little soy sauce, salt, pepper, red pepper, and a dash of hot sauce. Mixed the sauce and basted it on the filets throughout cooking. Absolutely wonderful, mild, firm meat with hardly a bone in it.
One of my biggest enjoyments of spearfishing, is getting our guests wonderful, happy, gracious comments about the meal, and how fresh the fish is

Happy trigger hunting. -John
 
Scott , have you tried the back of the Lead Stone , they sometimes hang around there .
 
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