When Trigger Fish Attack!!!!!

[OuterReefAdventure]

Ok, so I just got my internet hooked up and I am trying to figure out how to upload videos to this site, think I got it figured out...

Anyway if you have the time take a look at the below link it validates the warnings the divemasters sometimes give to Divers "watch out for the Trigger Fish"..

This Titan Trigger is getting a little too agressive with me ;)

The clip was taken off Moal Boal, it is short but might take a moment to download..

Just added another clip to the board, short shot of turtle in Moalboal.

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/141359/ppuser/96893

Cheers,

Roger

ScubaBoard Gallery - Killer Trigger Fish (http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/141357)

[shugar]

i keep on telling non-divers that filipino divers don't fear sharks (in fact look forward to seeing them)

the scariest fish in the ocean is a titan trigger... :rofl3:

chip has a 1st hand experience with that... has the teeth marks on his ass to prove it too... we think they were left there by zee but the titan trigger is chip's story and he's sticking to it :mooner:

Jag

[Tigerman]

Ive been harrassed by triggerfish in the red sea and I was just glad it was not a titan cause if it where it woulda had a chunk out of my arm. It was just a small blue and I didnt notice it till it actually bit me in my left arm. Fortunately for me it didnt get a good grip.

Guess thats what happens when youre too busy trying to get a picture of the other fish :p

[OuterReefAdventure]

The Diver I was with also got hit by another Trigger Fish on the same day, he had some pretty good abrasions on his arm from blocking the fishes attack on his mask...

Lucky for me it only hit my video housings port......:nailbiter:

[Tortuga68]

Yes, during breeding season (May-June in the Philippines, YMMV) they can be pretty aggressive

They have a conical 'territory' so moving down and away from them usually works, and presenting your fins gives them something to bite that won't leave scars

[Zippsy]

They have a conical 'territory' so moving down and away from them usually works, and presenting your fins gives them something to bite that won't leave scars

I've heard that old diver's tale too but I wish someone would teach it to the trigger fish with the same gusto as they teach it to new divers. I've studied them for a while and never observed a less aggressive zone. They chase people and hunfgy fish horizontally along the reef bottom for up to 50 meters from a nest. They also chase the directly overhead and up on an angle. Please someone teach the cone to the trigger fish because they don't know about it.

[Scared Silly]

This summer my teenage niece got a nice bite on her fin when she got too close to a nest. After she saw what it could do she learned quickly.

What I hate is when get in range and can not see their nest. A few time thinking I was backing away I was really moving closer.

[rab1412000]

triggers are territorial when guarding their nests.
their territory is a funnel shape extending upwards to more than 50 ft above their nest.
the best recourse is to swim downward, and away from the nest if you know where it is.
if you can find the nest just swim downward in the hopes of getting beyond the funnel.

my 2psi :)

[Zippsy]

Not only do triggerfish not know of this conical attack-here-only zone, but it does not even make sense. Wouldn't a predator 2 meters away horizontally on the bottom be more of a threat to the nest than one 15 meters directly above it?

Let's stop propagating this old myth.

[phil8diver]

Took a bite from my fin last july :D was so glad it was my fin and not part of my body. Saw it 8 meters away but in a split second came attacking me. It was truly a scary experience.

[rab1412000]

Not only do triggerfish not know of this conical attack-here-only zone, but it does not even make sense. Wouldn't a predator 2 meters away horizontally on the bottom be more of a threat to the nest than one 15 meters directly above it?

Let's stop propagating this old myth.

i dont know about your triggerfish in singapore but that 'myth' has worked for me and buddies many times. there are many titan triggerfish around the philippines. in fact you have a good chance of bumping into one. ive heard dms mention it too. when your already too close, swim deeper.

[Zippsy]

Took a bite from my fin last july :D was so glad it was my fin and not part of my body. Saw it 8 meters away but in a split second came attacking me. It was truly a scary experience.
Hi Phil. 8 meters away? Could you tell us about what angle you were to it? Above it? At the same depth? 45 degrees angle?


The reason I ask is that for years DM's have been talking about this "cone of aggression" where triggerfish tend to attack. Theoretically, the cone starts where the triggerfish is or where his nest is and spreads out as you go higher in the water column although I have heard other DM's swear the cone is the upside version of that too. The problem is that I have never heard marine biologists say this. Also, we get lots of titan triggers around where I dive so I keep a very close eye on them. We see them on average ab out every second dive. When they do attack, which is far to often for me, I'd say 80% of the time they chase other fish or humans away who are at the same depth or no more than on an angle of about 20 degrees upward. I've never seen them attack straight up but the other 20%, they have attacked from 20 to 60 degrees upward.

From personal experience too, I was attacked 3 times and never within the cone. Of all the other people I know who have been attacked, maybe 1/4 have been in the cone although I never have heard any dimensions of the cone so I am guessing. I have also hovered about 5 meters above a feeding (not nesting) trigger and while he kept an eye on me, he was not aggressive at all. Of the many fish I have seen attacked by triggers, they have all been along the bottom.

BTW, if the cone extends from 3 degrees upward to directly overhead, I take back everything I said.

[phil8diver]

Hi,

Basically I was leading two divers and saw the titan trigger fish on my eye level - same depth approximately 8 meters away (which is really far). I stopped, turned and signed others that we will go around it when it started to attack me. I am really not sure about this cone thing because I also witnessed a friend of mine get attack from his side. It was really funny since it just came out of nowhere twice and it freaked the new divers big time :rofl3:

Regards.



Hi Phil. 8 meters away? Could you tell us about what angle you were to it? Above it? At the same depth? 45 degrees angle?


The reason I ask is that for years DM's have been talking about this "cone of aggression" where triggerfish tend to attack. Theoretically, the cone starts where the triggerfish is or where his nest is and spreads out as you go higher in the water column although I have heard other DM's swear the cone is the upside version of that too. The problem is that I have never heard marine biologists say this. Also, we get lots of titan triggers around where I dive so I keep a very close eye on them. We see them on average ab out every second dive. When they do attack, which is far to often for me, I'd say 80% of the time they chase other fish or humans away who are at the same depth or no more than on an angle of about 20 degrees upward. I've never seen them attack straight up but the other 20%, they have attacked from 20 to 60 degrees upward.

From personal experience too, I was attacked 3 times and never within the cone. Of all the other people I know who have been attacked, maybe 1/4 have been in the cone although I never have heard any dimensions of the cone so I am guessing. I have also hovered about 5 meters above a feeding (not nesting) trigger and while he kept an eye on me, he was not aggressive at all. Of the many fish I have seen attacked by triggers, they have all been along the bottom.

BTW, if the cone extends from 3 degrees upward to directly overhead, I take back everything I said.

[Zippsy]

It freaks old divers out too! I am living and scarred proof.

------------------

BTW, if some people can train triggers to only be aggressive in certain "cone zones", why not just train them to be non-aggressive? :confused:

[OuterReefAdventure]

It's funny, but I was on APO this week and saw a "huge" Titan Trigger while I shooting some vid of a large Bumphead Parrot Fish, I have to admit I am much more vigilant about keeping my eye on them, but this one was docile and let me pass with no issues.

[phil8diver]

I guess not all titan trigger are bad, just like humans? :blinking:

[Tigerman]

Hi Phil. 8 meters away? Could you tell us about what angle you were to it? Above it? At the same depth? 45 degrees angle?


The reason I ask is that for years DM's have been talking about this "cone of aggression" where triggerfish tend to attack. Theoretically, the cone starts where the triggerfish is or where his nest is and spreads out as you go higher in the water column although I have heard other DM's swear the cone is the upside version of that too. The problem is that I have never heard marine biologists say this
....

I actually HAVE heard marine biologists talk of it and then as a cone from the area around the nest and upwards in the water column for "some meters", kina like \ /
Problem is of course that if youre aware of the triggerfish being in the area and youre still getting attacked, its often easier said than done to move "further away" or "down and away from the nest" as your (atleast mine) issue is probably that you havent spotted the nest, but the fish :p

[walke121]

Just shoot em and string them through the mouth. Problem solved. If you don't they can take a chunk out of a 7mm suit and require 5 stitches.

[Papa_Bear]

Never turn your back and have a Reeds Rod ready! ;)

[stvbrit]

There you go, my sentiments exactly....Youve got to scramble the brains to ensure a clean kill though....and no playing possum. They are quite tasty actually grilled skin and all, when cooked just peel skin back and spread the Mayo on top, Mmmmnnn Good, Sarap naman..

[OuterReefAdventure]

Never turn your back and have a Reeds Rod ready! ;)

So are you suggesting I could fend off the T F with one of your Rods??????

[Rhoody]

do I miss something ??? that is a flnuckin 100 Peso piece of stainless metal plus 30 peso for the thread, one of my former DS-boys makes them since years and was charging 200 Peso. (no patent pending- but working), he called it Korean-Stick...

anyway back to topic, I saw with one of my diver a very effective TF defense. He had a green UW- Laserpointer which simply made the TF freak out and swim away almost panicking, while almost all other UW-creatures were following the beam and came closer.

[Papa_Bear]

So are you suggesting I could fend off the T F with one of your Rods??????

YES! If you have to, it's done all the time in certain parts of the world!;) Your just holding them off until your far enough away!

[Tortuga68]

Not only do triggerfish not know of this conical attack-here-only zone, but it does not even make sense. Wouldn't a predator 2 meters away horizontally on the bottom be more of a threat to the nest than one 15 meters directly above it?

Let's stop propagating this old myth.

Eh, I dunno. Maybe their territory isn't conical. Maybe they'll chase you outside their territory after you've first entered it. Maybe their vision or smell or whatever works better in that zone. All I know is swim down and away & show them a fin has worked for me. I don't really care what the fish is thinking, just how I can best avoid being bitten by them

[Gen San Chris]

Here in Sarangani we have some beauties and they do attack when they are nesting! Several of us have been attacked but without injury luckily but we really keep an eve on them if we see them! Our nick name for them is Mister Angry as thats what they remind me of! The do not attack as much as the Clown Fish do, we keep an eye on the also! We are really brave down here!

[Guamborn]

That must have been a scary experience..