Gray Triggerfish (Balistes capriscus)

Gray Triggerfish (Balistes capriscus)

Also known as … triggerfish

Description …

The gray triggerfish is a deep bodies fish with a large first spine within the first dorsal fin.  This spine can be extended to lodge the fish into rocky areas and used as defense.  It works much like  a trigger.   They are grey overall in color, sometimes with a darker mottling.  The mouth has pronounced lips and teeth, which are specialized to chew holes into shellfish and crustaceans.  The pectoral fins are small and rounded. The outer rays of the caudal fin (tail) are elongated in larger individuals  Their skin is very tough, making them difficult to filet.  Triggerfish is an excellent meal.  They can be caught on small crabs, sand fleas, bloodworms, clam, and squid.  They are a shallow water fish, found on hard bottom areas, rocky areas, wrecks, and reefs.

Delaware Creel limit …  None