Balistes vetula
Queen Triggerfish
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
There are no photos available for this taxon yet.
Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Tetraodontiformes (Pufferfishes and Allies)
Balistidae (Triggerfishes)
Balistes
Balistes vetula (Queen Triggerfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting.
When citing, please reference the original source rather than this page.
Learn more about our species accounts.
Characters
Notched teeth, bony scutes above pectoral fin base, and two blue bands on cheek. Deep groove in front of eye. Jaw teeth at symphyses pointed, those on lateral aspects with incised biting surfaces. Upper jaw with two rows of teeth (8 outer, 6 inner). Lower jaw with single row of teeth. Gill rakers 35-38. Measurements (% SL): head length 37%-38%, snout length 23%-29%, eye diameter 7%-12%, pectoral fin length 16%-17%, body depth at anal fin origin 49%-62%. Pectoral fin rays 15 or 16 (usually 15). Second dorsal fin elevated anteriorly with 29-31 rays (usually 30), anterior rays filamentous in adults. Anal fin similar to second dorsal fin with 27 or 28 rays. Caudal fin emarginate in juveniles, lunate in adults with upper- and lowermost rays filamentous. Scales in horizontal series 56-63.
Greenish or bluish gray dorsally, orangish yellow on lower head and belly. Two curved blue bands from snout to below pectoral fin base, third band below lower lip. Narrow dark lines radiate from eye. Median fins dark blue with light blue margins. Caudal peduncle with light blue band.
Distribution
Tropical and warm temperate Atlantic, western Atlantic from Nova Scotia and Bermuda to southeastern Brazil, including Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, and Antilles.
Entire Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Coral reefs, sandy and rubble areas around reefs, and sea-grass beds, from near shore to about 100 m depth.
Coral reefs, sandy and rubble areas, sea-grass beds
Biology
Sea urchins and other invertebrates
Maximum known size 500 mm TL
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.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; guarders (nesters).
IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened (NT), assessed 2011-06-06. Resilience: Medium (K=0.15; tm=2-4; tmax=23).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish; aquarium: commercial.
References
Longley and Hildebrand 1941
Moore 1967
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Randall 1968
Randall 1996
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Matsuura 1983t
Matsuura 2002b
Robins and Ray 1986
Smith and Heemstra 1986b
Tortonese 1986a
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Randall, J.E. (1967) Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr. Miami 5:665-847.
Aiken, K.A. (1983) The biology, ecology and bionomics of the triggerfishes, Balistidae. p.191-205. In J.L. Munro (ed.) Caribbean coral reef fishery resources. ICLARM Stud. Rev. 7. 276 p.
Jenyns, L. (1842) Fish. In C. Darwin (ed.) The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, under the command of Captain Fitzroy, R.N., during the years 1832-1836. Smith, Elder & Co., London (in 4 parts): p. 1-32 (Jan. 1840); 33-64 (Jun. 1840); 65-96 (Apr. 1841); 97-172 (Apr. 1842).
Smith, M.M. and P.C. Heemstra (1986) Balistidae. p. 876-882. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Tortonese, E. (1986) Balistidae. p. 1335-1337. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNESCO, Paris. Vol. III.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Randall, J.E. (1996) Caribbean reef fishes. Third Edition - revised and enlarged. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Hong Kong. 3nd ed. 368 p.
Matsuura, K. (2015) Taxonomy and systematics of tetraodontiform fishes: a review focusing primarily on progress in the period from 1980 to 2014. Ichthyol. Res. 62(1):72-113. DOI: 10.1007/s10228-014-0444-5
Comments On Balistes vetula