Grey triggerfish
📖 Overview
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 .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 26 - 29; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 23 - 26. Tall, with a small mouth and plate like scales . Three faint irregular broad dark bars on body; a narrow pale transverse band on chin; small light blue spots on upper half of body and median fins, and irregular short lines ventrally .: short and / or deep.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Grey triggerfish is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
Adults guard the embryos nested in sand which hatched in about two days .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 100 m , usually 0 - 55 m . Tropical; 58°N - 37°S, 98°W - 36°E
🌿 Ecology
benthic invertebrates like mollusks and crustaceans (Ref
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🎣 Angling Guide
- medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
- 30-50 lb braid
- fluorocarbon leader
- grass flats
- oyster bars
- marsh drains
- deeper channel edges
Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.
⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Gray Triggerfish is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 19.7 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 212 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Grey triggerfish has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🔬 Full Nutritional Profile
Per 100g - Raw, per 100g - Source: USDA FoodData Central templates (generic fish average)
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Common Triggerfish · Cucuyo · Filefish · Gray Triggerfish · Grey Triggerfish · Leatherjacket · Old Wife · Pig-faced · Trigger Fish · Triggerfish · Turbot · grey trigger-fish · leather-jacket · trigger-fish |
| 🌍BRE | peroked |
| 🏳️Catalan | peix ballesta · porcell · surer |
| 🌍CYM | Pysgod Clicied · pysgodyn clicied |
| 🇩🇰Danish | Almindelig aftrækkerfisk |
| 🇩🇪German | Drückerfisch · Schweinedrückerfisch |
| 🌍ELL | Βαλιστής |
| 🌍EUS | baleztarraina |
| 🇫🇮Finnish | säppikala |
| 🇫🇷French | Baliste Commune · Baliste Gris · Baliste cabri · Fanfré · Poisson à Gâchette · Poisson-gâchette · Poisson-porc · baliste · baliste capri · baliste commun · baliste perroquet · cochon de mer · perroquet |
| 🌍HEB | ניצרן ים-תיכוני |
| 🇭🇷Croatian | kostorok |
| 🇮🇹Italian | pesce balestra · pesce porco |
| 🌍MLT | hmar |
| 🇳🇱Dutch | grijze trekkervis · trekkervis |
| 🌍NNO | avtrekkerfisk |
| 🌍NOB | avtrekkerfisk |
| 🇵🇱Polish | rogatnica |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Cangulo-branco · Grey triggerfish · Peixe-porco · cangulo |
| 🌍RON | balista |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Рыба курок |
| 🌍SLV | balestra |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Ballesta · Bot · Cachua · Cocuyo · Lija Moteada · Peje Puerco · Penolera · Puerco · Roncon · Sabaco · Sobaco · Tapa Fallas · Varraco · cochino gris · escopeta · pampo · pejepuerco blanco · pez ballesta · Pejepuerco |
| 🌍SQI | peshk derr · peshku derr |
| 🌍SRP | mihaca |
| 🇸🇪Swedish | grå tryckarfisk |
| 🌍TUR | cutre baligi · yasemin baligi · çotira · çütre balığı |
| 🌍UKR | Риба курок |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balistes buniva | Lacepède | 1803 | Synonym |
| Balistes caprinus | Valenciennes | 1839 | Synonym |
| Balistes capriscus | Walbaum | 1792 | Synonym |
| Balistes carolinensis | Gronow | 1854 | Heterotypic |
| Balistes caroliniensis | Gmelin | 1789 | Synonym |
| Balistes forcipatus | Gmelin | 1789 | Synonym |
| Balistes fuliginosus | DeKay | 1842 | Synonym |
| Balistes moribundus | Cope | 1871 | Synonym |
| Balistes powellii | Cope | 1870 | Synonym |
| Balistes spilotopterygius | Walbaum | 1792 | Synonym |
| Balistes taeniopterus | Poey | 1860 | Synonym |
| Balististes carolinensis | Gmelin | 1789 | Synonym |
| Nematobalistes forcipatus | Gmelin | 1789 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 840 records indexed .
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