Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The triggerfish family, Balistidae. was first proposed in 1810 by the French polymath Constantine Samuel Rafinesque. [4] The closest relantives to the triggerfishes are the filefishses belonging to the family Monacanthidae and these two families are sometimes classified together in the suborder Balistoidei, for example in the 5th edition of Fishes of the World. [5]
The skeleton, which forms the support structure inside the fish, is either made of cartilage (cartilaginous fish) or bone . The main skeletal element is the vertebral column, composed of articulating vertebrae which are lightweight yet strong. The ribs attach to the spine and there are no limbs or limb girdles.
Balistes vetula is the type species of the genus Balistes, a name which refers to the first spine of the dorsal fin being locked in place by the erection of the shorter second trigger spine, and unlocked by depressing the second spine. Balistes is taken directly from the Italian pesca ballista, the "crossbow fish".
Redtoothed triggerfish are normally deep purple with bluish-green markings on their heads and glowing light blue margins on the tail lobes and fins. Just like other fish in the family Balistidae, the tail is lyre-shaped. The mouth of the triggerfish seems to be grinning and it maintains tiny red teeth that are needle-sharp with two teeth in the ...
The orange-lined triggerfish is the only member of the monotypic genus Balistapus, a name which suffixes -a, meaning "without" and pus, which means "foot" onto Balistes, as Park described it as being without pelvic fins, but like all triggerfishes, the pelvic fins are hidden in the skin and joied together to form a spine ending in very short ...
It has a small second dorsal spine which is used to lock its main spine into an upright position. When sheltering in a small crevice, this locking helps protect the fish against extraction by a predator. The reef triggerfish is characterized by having a noticeably large snout and blue lips that resemble that of a pig’s snout.
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!
The threat posture includes the triggerfish facing the intruder while holding its first dorsal spine erect. [6] It may also roll onto its side, allowing it a better look at the intruder it perceives as threatening its nest. The titan triggerfish will not always bite, but can swim at snorkellers and divers escorting them out of their territory.