Queen Triggerfish in Cozumel
Queen Triggerfish (*Balistes vetula*) in Cozumel: how to identify it, where it is reliably seen, and what it is commonly confused with.
Blue-green above and yellow-orange below, with two bright blue stripes running across the snout and long trailing filaments off the top and bottom of the tail.
Quick ID
| Scientific name | Balistes vetula |
|---|---|
| Group | Colourful Reef Fish |
| Typical size | 30–50 cm |
| Depth range | 5–30 m |
| When to see it | Year-round |
| Active | Daytime |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened |
| Notes | — |
Where You Will See It In Cozumel
Sand-and-rubble edges beside the reef at Tormentos, Yucab and Paso del Cedral, usually alone.
Reliable sites: Tormentos, Yucab, Paso del Cedral.
Behaviour
Feeds on sea urchins by blowing water to flip them onto their unarmoured underside. Locks itself into crevices with a trigger-like dorsal spine — the behaviour the family is named for.
Commonly Confused With
- Ocean triggerfish — Ocean triggerfish is plain grey and usually higher in the water column.
- Black durgon — Black durgon is uniformly dark with bright white lines at the fin bases.
Diving Etiquette And Safety
Triggerfish guarding a nest on the sand will defend it. If one rises to meet you, swim horizontally away rather than upward — the territory is a cone above the nest.
Part of the Cozumel marine life guide · see Cozumel dive sites · plan your Cozumel dive trip
Photo: Greg Grimes, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
