Triggerfish

Triggerfish are mid-size reef fish with extraordinary geometric patterns, the clown triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum) is one of the most photogenic fish in the ocean, with white spots, yellow lattice, and a black body. Picasso, titan, and orange-lined triggerfish are also common across the Indo-Pacific.

Their name comes from the locking mechanism on the dorsal spine, they wedge themselves into reef holes and the spine snaps up so predators can't pull them out. Titan triggerfish (Balistoides viridescens) famously defend their cone-shaped nests during the breeding season, they will charge and bite divers who unknowingly cross above the nest. Swim sideways, not upward, to clear the territory.

Reliable at every reef destination: Andaman, Maldives, Bali, Red Sea, Phuket, Komodo. The clown triggerfish is the macro-photo target; the titan is the species to give a wide berth during the breeding season.