Their head has a small mouth that opens at the front and is equipped with 8 hefty outer teeth on the upper and lower jaws and small notched teeth that are longer and pointed. Juveniles are paler in color being gray-brown with blue oblique lines across their head the sides of their body are dashed with oblique black lines and they also have shorter fins than adults. They have the ability to change colors to adapt to their surroundings or when under stress or breeding. The edges of their anal, caudal, and dorsal fins are blue. They also have a blue bar across their caudal peduncle. They have two wide oblique bright blue bands extending from their snout to below and in front of their pectoral fins as well as blue lines with yellow borders radiating from their eyes the lower band is continuous with a blue ring around their lips. They are distinctively colored with various shades of purple, green, yellow, and brown on their back and yellow-orange on the lower portions of their head and abdomen. The Queen Triggerfish have robust, compressed, oblong, and relatively deep bodies with a depth that is 52% to 56% of standard length. Globally, there are seven species in the genus Balistes, three of which are found in Mexican waters, two in the Atlantic and one in the Pacific Ocean. The Queen Triggerfish, Balistes vetula, is a member of the Triggerfish or Balistidae Family, that is known in Mexico as cochino. Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of George Brinkman, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Fish caught from coastal waters off Hopetown, Bahamas, March 2004. Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, Sebastian, Florida. Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Josh Leisen (), Gaylord, Michigan. Fish caught from coastal waters off Belize, March 2004.
It preys on a variety of invertebrates, notably sea urchins. Because it grows so large and so quickly the minimum aquarium for this fish is a 500-gallon aquarium. It is however a hardy fish for those who can provide it with a proper environment. It is reasonably common in Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.Īs one of the largest and most aggressive of the Triggerfish, the Queen Triggerfish is rarely a good choice as a resident in a marine aquarium. In the western Atlantic, it ranges from Canada to southern Brazil, and in the eastern Atlantic it is found at Ascension, Cape Verde, Azores and south of Angola. The Queen Triggerfish is typically found at coral and rocky reefs in depths of 9–902 ft and sometimes over areas with sand or seagrass.
The Queen Triggerfish reaches 24″ inches in size, though most are about half that length. The body is regally colored with purple, blue, turquoise, green and yellow with light blue lines on the fins and head (hence the name queen) and it can change color somewhat to match its surroundings, or if subjected to stress. The Atlantic Queen Triggerfish or Queen Triggerfish (Balistes Vetula) or Old Wife is a reef dwelling Triggerfish found in the Atlantic Ocean.
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