How dangerous are triggerfish?

[hyaku]

Are they dangerous?

I have had a few run in's with Titans now. Last one (biggest I have seen) came up like damn bullet up the wall at me. What "are" they eating? They get bigger!. Fifty watts shone at him changed his mind but like always he came in for a second run. They dont give up easy.

hyaku

 

[dazle]

Another DMT got nailed 2 weeks ago. Only a bruised leg and ego though. I've had to fend off 2 since getting nailed a month ago. Titans seem to be the worse and show non territorial agression. Yellow margins don't really pose a problem unless you're near their nest.

IMHO the best way to deal with an encounter is:
If the site is known for triggers, look in all directions often.

If you see one. get on your back, try not to lose eye contact, swim horizontally, purge your ocky in it's fat face, try to boot it with your fins, carry 2 knives(PC: Cutting tool) and use it if all else fails. Be aware of other triggers wanting to get involoved, they're known to work in teams!!! I reckon you are just extremely unlucky or have not acted accordingly if you get nailed though.

Where's your speargun when you need it.

 

[diver187]

I dive in brunswick Ga.
we have lots of trigger fish here and I must say they do bite but usually only when you stick a spear through them.
One on the funniest things I ever saw happened while diving with my dive buddie jimmie.
We were 125ft. down on a reef off brunswick and jimmie shoot a big trigger and put his stringer though the hole were he shot him,clipped it on his belt and swam on.pretty soon I looked over to see jimmie on the bottom on his back trying to pull that dam trigger fish off his leg that fish bit the krap out of him! At 125ft. I was a little narced so it was even funnier still.
Lesson learned
When spearfishing always where a suit that covers your legs
always string your fish though the gills and mouth.
Triggers are hard to string like that so its though the eyes for them,
buy the way triggers taste great!

 

[baitshooter]

I for one never string triggers through the eyes cuz they WILL bite you. Also while diving in 20ft of jupiter fl. I had a 10 incher trying to bite my spear tip.......On that note I am not scared of them but definately watch them to see if they are flanking me. As a last resort I just shoot the boogers and string um up for safety sake

 

[DORSETBOY]

Hi Dazle, is that big bugger Trevor on White Rock still there?!! Gonna get reaquanted with him in the spring when I come back!:mean:

 

[dazle]

Since my close encounter of the the too close kind with Trev I've since heard that it's not really him but a counterfeit!

His replacement is as equally unfriendly though.

PM me dorsetboy when you're over, we'll go for a fun dive and make it not so fun for Trev! I'm at crystal

 

[DORSETBOY]

No worries, will bring the world's BIGGEST speargun with me! Are you still working on KT now? hasnt the season finished yet?

 

[Scubakevdm]

I am a divemaster/ Reef guide in SE Florida, where we are fortunate enough to enjoy an abundance and variety of triggerfish. I spend much of my time on the reefs, turning up neat stuff for our customers. On the reef, the triggers are sort of sparse, and inquisitive. Nice. However... sometimes I am forced out into the sand, away from the reefs to help with research and artificial reefs and stuff. In the sand the trigger becomes something completely different. Almost immediately they start to congregate, hovering about like the winged monkeys in The Wizard of Oz. They study me for awhile as the pack grows, identifying weaknesses... then on some telepathic cue they move in. Swatting them away only seems to intensify the attack. Soon I am engulfed in a churning school of evil fish brandishing their rat like incisors each vying for a shot at the Holy Grail, an unprotected ear-top. Its only a matter of time until one of these Mike Tysons of the deep scores, inflicting pain so great that I pray that a passing bull shark might notice all of the commotion and spare me the agonizing fate the relentless triggers promise. Aparrently, bull sharks know better than to venture too closely to the evil trigger.:wacko:

 

[DORSETBOY]

Always nice to know the little b*$tards attack other people too! l

 

[happybuddha]

I worked parttime as a guide in the Philippines before moving to China earlier this year, and during the nesting seasons the females can be very aggressive. I had divers chased several times by triggers, and I've been chased a few times as well. A friend actually got bit by one and had to get a couple of stitches in her scalp.

Its funny, if you make a loud noise, I like to growl at them, they stop in their tracks for a second and then come running at you again.