Grey triggerfish (Balistes capriscus)

Scientific name: Balistes capriscus Gmelin, 1789

The Grey triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) is a marine fish of the family Balistidae. Native range: Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean to Mo?amedes, Angola. Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia (Canada), Bermuda, and northern Gulf of Mexico to Argentina.

Biology

Inhabits bays, harbors, lagoons, and seaward reefs. May drift with young at surface among Sargassum. Usually solitary or in small groups. Feeds on benthic invertebrates like mollusks and crustaceans. Oviparous. Consumed mostly fresh, smoked, and dried salted. The flesh is of excellent quality. Because it is resistant to capture, it proliferates and competes for food with other species.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Balistes capriscus
Family: Balistidae (Triggerfishes)
Order: Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and Filefishes)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 60.0
Common length: 44.0
Depth range: 0–100 m (0–328 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 100 m, usually 0 - 55 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Eastern Atlantic: Mediterranean to Mo?amedes, Angola. Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia (Canada), Bermuda, and northern Gulf of Mexico to Argentina.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Reports of ciguatera poisoning
Uses: Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.38-0.43; tm=1)