How dangerous are triggerfish?

[tomcat]

hmmmm Jeff,

I see your point and that's why I was wondering about the "dangerousness" of triggers. i'm sure all animals have a capacity for inflicting damage on its victim but on a scale of 1 (harmless) to 10 (lethal), where does the trigger lie.

based on the responses here, i'm guessing that relative to dudes like sergeant majors and even turtles, triggers would be a couple of notches higher.

the reason why i'm asking this question is because i'm not getting out of the water! like it too much and am finding the sweetspot between careless disregard for the environment and careful understanding of the creatures around me.

you wouldn't expect a beginner to be confidently diving with tiger sharks do you?

 

[Bob]

Hi Pam,
If you dive the Keys or the Carribean, you'll be around Barracudas. Sounds like you've already been in the water with them. I think the standard safety precautions work quite well. Don't wear anything that reflects light like a necklase or wedding band. Cuda's love to strike at things that reflect light.I'm comfortable around them, never had one to be agressive with me, but I always give a Cuda plenty of room.
I have a healthy respect for any fish that has teeth. Just because one hasn't tried to bite me, doesn't mean he won't try. Better safe than sorry! Just be aware when you're diving around Cuda's and you should be fine.
:tree:Bob

 

[uwsince79]

Let us not forget that we are in the wild when we are underwater. Barracuda, Triggerfish, sharks what ever. Your safety lies within you. If an animal feel threatened by a certain other animal and corners there is a VERY GOOD possibility it will defend its self or its nest. Are barracuda dangerous, are you spear fishing? If your not they are just inquisitive fish, I have swum through schools so thick in the Keys it looks liked logs on the surface. And when I had to swim through the school they of course waited until the last minute to move. It was an amazing dive. Not one diver got attacked. But I have been spearing fish and having them attack the fish I had just speared with in seconds, if I had been holding the fish I could have been badly hurt. BUT you are in the wild not your swimming pool. As for triggerfish they bite, so do every other fish in the sea, will they bite you; I feel that is up to you and you alone. Animals sense fear and many other changes given off by all animals (including Humans we too are animals) I do not want to go into a biology lesson here, but we are visiting their environment. Should you be scared of Triggerfish? NO, just use you head if you feel uncomfortable do not follow your dive master into the nesting area, should you be afraid of cuda, NO just use a little common sense and enjoy your dive......

 

[Bob]

I don't spearfish in the Keys because of the Barracudas. None of the guys I dive with do either, it's too dangerous.
I have no desire to be fish bait. Without blood or a wounded fish in the water, Barracudas are just as you say, inquisitive. Dive Safely.
:tree:Bob

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi jeffweiss,

I believe you are quite mistaken about that. The Titan Triggerfish (Balistoides viridescens), found widely distributed in Indo-Pacifc waters, is quite aggressive when guarding a nest, and attacks on divers are reported with some regularity. In fact, I had a near run in with one in the Red Sea not too long ago. Not only can they inflict a nasty bite, but may be ciguatoxic (ciguatoxin is a natural poison that develops in certain fish that feed on marine algae). Best to give these critters wide berth.

If you are limiting your remark to the Triggerfish of the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean & Bahamas, then you are correct that they are unlikely to bother the diver.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[Walter]

While they "can" hurt a diver, such incidents are extremely rare. I routinely spearfish around them and I'm always wearing a silver chain around my neck with a silver lure attached. I have NEVER had a problem with a barracuda. I have seen them take fish (or half a fish) from hunters who weren't paying attention. When they start to follow me with my catch, I charge them. They always go away.

WWW™

 

[Rick Murchison]

Lots of "points of view" but very little experience. Jeff's experience is "no danger" while Walter has been bitten (which trigger? - what circumstances).
The only trigger bite I've ever actually seen was in the Gulf of Mexico; that fellow will tell you "the sumbitches'll bite the livin' hell outa ye." He's still getting even by eating as many as he can catch.
Aside from that one incidence I've never seen a trigger bite anyone anywhere in the world since I started diving in the late 60's. I have seen defensive "charges" without bites.
I don't consider them dangerous at all, especially if you give 'em a little space if they're obviously defending something.
Rick

 

[Bob]

Walter,
You're much braver than me. All I can say is Lots of Luck.
:tree:Bob

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Rick,

For starters, see these:

1. I got attacked by a triggerfish ,while Divemastering(+)
Author: Dougdive
Date: 04-14-00 11:03

My diver was getting bit and I had to draw the bastard off him him and onto me. Luckily it was small. On another day, my friend( a shop owner), got bit on the head by a big one.Drew blood .Par for the day ,during some seasons(Titan Trigger). I've heard of people getting their nose broken."

2. "I too was attacked and bitten+
Author: Blue Largo
Date: 04-14-00 11:36

by a clown trigger in Malaysia two years ago, I still have scars on my calf hurt like hell too! Bad part was I didn't have my video gear otherwise I think I would have made it on 'When Animals Attack.'"

3."And they are b.....ds! I have a nice scar from my own nasty encounter...(+)
Author: Stef
Date: 08-10-00 05:33

while diving on the GBR in Oct. of '98. I had never seen a Bast....er, Titan Triggerfish before and had no idea of their potential viciousness. A friend and I were diving from the 'Supersport' and the ship's photo pro was video taping the two of us. At about 60', exiting a cavern, I came face to face with a monster-sized Titan. In less than 15 seconds, it gave me a warning rush, followed immediately by an attack to my hairline that resulted in a nickel-sized chunk taken out of my head right down to the skull! It was such a hard hit that it knocked me backwards. This is a big, solid Bast...er, fish. I turned around to see the look of horror on my buddy's face, and the photographer motioning for me to swim toward him, while the attacker continued to go after my fins.

When I reached them, my buddy grabbed my hand and put it to my head where I felt a flap of skin and saw huge clouds of green. Big problem! By the time I surfaced (after a safety stop), blood was pouring down my face and mask and my head felt like it was hit by a Mack truck. The guys on deck were horrified because it looked much worse than it really was.

After an attempt by the lead DM to stitch the flap of skin back over the skull (I didn't resort to alcohol - I wanted to go in for the next dive!), we ended up pouring betadine on it and fashioning a web of butterfly bandages. Now, a couple years later, it has healed nicely but there is still a pretty good scar under the hairline. And let me tell you....not many things strike terror into me when I'm diving, but those...ok, I'll say it...
Bastards!!! are certainly capable."

I can provide more.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[Rick Murchison]

Doc,
I don't think my experience is *that* unusual.. then again, I reckon I've been lucky!
But, like I said, I've only witnessed one bite myself, and that one in the Gulf by an Ocean Triggerfish. I'm not doubting the capacity of the fish for inflicting a mean wound (the one I saw took a good sized chunk of meat from between my friend's thumb and forefinger), but I've never had one of any kind attack and bite after the "warning" rush (I do believe the warnings and I do retreat).
I may not have been clear in my post that retreat is prudent when a fish with a trigger's dentition and disposition signals its territorial boundary - it is, I do, and I've never been bit - yet.
Rick