Summary ⁷

The queen triggerfish (Balistes vetula) is a reef dwelling triggerfish of the Atlantic Ocean. It is occasionally caught as a gamefish, and sometimes kept in marine aquaria.

Biology ⁸

Found over rocky or coral areas (Ref. 5217). May form schools, sometimes solitary over sand and grassy areas. Feeds mainly on benthic invertebrates (Ref. 4727). It preys on sea urchins by blowing water to overturn it and then attacks it where the spines are short (Ref. 9710). Excellent food fish but occasionally can cause intoxication due to the liver.

Distribution ⁹

Western Atlantic: Massachusetts, USA and northern Gulf of Mexico to southeastern Brazil

Morphology ¹⁰

Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 29 - 32; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 27 - 29

Size ¹¹

Maximum size: 600 mm TL

Diagnostic description ¹²

Greenish or bluish gray on back, orange-yellow on lower part of head and abdomen, with two broad diagonal curved bright blue bands running from snout to below and in front of pectoral fins, the lowermost continuous with a blue ring around lips; a broad blue bar across caudal peduncle, and blue sub-marginal bands in median fins (Ref. 13442).

Habitat and ecology ¹³

Systems

• Marine

Link to Access Genomic Data ¹⁴

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=303687&lvl=0

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Dennis Polack, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.fishwisepro.com/pics/jpg/073135F000009W000003.jpg
2. (c) Kevin Bryant, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/76042652@N00/2500426908
3. (c) Biopix, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.biopix.com/PhotosMedium/Balistes%20vetula%2000002.JPG
4. (c) Biopix, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.biopix.com/PhotosMedium/Balistes%20vetula%2000001.JPG
5. (c) Biopix, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.biopix.com/PhotosMedium/AAN%20Balistes%20vetula%2000001.jpg
6. (c) AquaMaps, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.aquamaps.org/imagethumb/cached_maps/2050/pic_Fis-29302.jpg
7. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balistes_vetula
8. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/20836978
9. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) WoRMS for SMEBD, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/28472400
10. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/20836980
11. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) FishWise Professional, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/24201294
12. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/20836979
13. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/28015127
14. (c) matbio, all rights reserved

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• FishBase
• FishSource
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• VertNet
• World Register of Marine Species

Range Map

(c) AquaMaps, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-SA)

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