Balistes vetula

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Superclassis/Classis: Actinopterygii
Classis/Subclassis: Actinopteri
Subclassis/Infraclassis: Neopterygii
Infraclassis: Teleostei
Megacohors: Osteoglossocephalai
Supercohors: Clupeocephala
Cohors: Euteleosteomorpha
Subcohors: Neoteleostei
Infracohors: Eurypterygia
Sectio: Ctenosquamata
Subsectio: Acanthomorphata
Divisio/Superordo: Acanthopterygii
Subdivisio: Percomorphaceae
Series: Eupercaria
Ordo: Tetraodontiformes

Familia: Balistidae
Genus: Balistes
Species: Balistes vetula
Name

Balistes vetula Linnaeus, 1758

References

Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Holmiæ: impensis direct. Laurentii Salvii. i–ii, 1–824 pp DOI: 10.5962/bhl.title.542: 329. Open access Reference page.
Balistes vetula – Taxon details on Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
Balistes vetula in the World Register of Marine Species
Balistes vetula in Catalog of Fishes, Eschmeyer, W.N., Fricke, R. & van der Laan, R. (eds.) 2024. Catalog of Fishes electronic version.

Vernacular names
Deutsch: Königin-Drückerfisch
English: Queen Triggerfish
español: Pez ballesta reina
français: Baliste royal
italiano: Pesce balestra variegato
Nederlands: Koningstrekkervis
русский: Королевский спинорог
svenska: Kärringfisk
中文: 妪鳞鲀

Balistes vetula, the queen triggerfish or old wife, is a reef dwelling triggerfish found in the Atlantic Ocean. It is occasionally caught as a gamefish, and sometimes kept in very large marine aquaria.
Etymology

This fish is called cochino in Cuba,[1] and this is the probable origin of the name Bahía de Cochinos, which is known as the Bay of Pigs in English.
Description

The queen triggerfish reaches 60 cm (24 in), though most only are about half that length.[2] It is typically blue, purple, turquoise and green with a yellowish throat, and light blue lines on the fins and head.[3] It can change colour somewhat to match its surroundings, or if subjected to stress.[3]
Distribution

In the western Atlantic, it ranges from Canada to southern Brazil, and in the eastern Atlantic it is found at Ascension, Cape Verde, Azores and south to Angola.[2] It is reasonably common in Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.[3]
Ecology

The queen triggerfish is typically found at coral and rocky reefs in depths of 3–30 m (9.8–98.4 ft), but it can occur as deep as 275 m (902 ft) and sometimes over areas with sand or seagrass.[2]

It preys on a variety of invertebrates, notably sea urchins.[3]
In the aquarium

As one of the largest and most aggressive of the triggerfish, this fish is rarely a good choice as a resident in a marine aquarium. It is however a hardy fish for those who can provide it with a proper environment. Because it grows so large and so quickly the minimum aquarium for this fish is a 500-gallon aquarium. Although some sources argue it can be kept in as little a tank as 125 gallons, when it achieves its adult size of two feet it is very unlikely to thrive, and will likely lead to premature death.[4]

Its diet consists of invertebrates. In aquariums shrimp, squid, clams, octopus, scallops, and crab are all good choices of food.
References

Claro, Rodolfo; García-Arteaga, Juan P.; Gobert, Bertrand; Cantelar Ramos, Karel (2004). "Situación actual de los recursos pesqueros del Archipiélago Sabana-Camagüey, Cuba" (PDF). Bulletin of Marine and Coastal Research (in Spanish). 33. INVEMAR: 49–67. ISSN 0122-9761. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 February 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Balistes vetula" in FishBase. June 2012 version.
Humann, Paul; Deloach, Ned (2002). Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas (Third ed.). New World Publications. p. 394. ISBN 978-1878348302.
"Balistes vetula". Discover Fishes. Retrieved 2024-06-25.

Fish Images