Angry Trigger Fish Encounter - Hibiscus St.

[ReefTrekker]

I read about this, but had no idea these little guys could be so mean!!

Jason and I did a dive today on a whim after I got off work. Yes Mike, that was us yelling obscenities into your window.

Anyways, we were doing some navigation drills, and worked our way to the first reef. I saw this trigger fish getting too curious. We moved away, and he decided he wanted to have a "throw down". It was hilarious......I was swimming backward trying to keep him attacking my fins rather than my arms, and Jason is looking at me like "what's this fish on?". Persistent little bugger. Once we got about 100 yards toward shore, he lost interest. I'm guessing we came across a nest or something? Oh well, fish are allowed to have bad days too.

So now I have a great near-death experience with a 6 inch fish story.

Mike, Joe, Jenny.....watch your backs out there. This one has a taste for neoprene.

Great rest of the dive. Saw several nurse sharks, along with the usual cast of lookdowns, angelfish, puffers etc.....Looks like the vis is picking up. I may be back tomorrow afternoon. Will look for familiar faces.

Jeremy

 

[lhpdiver]

I had a triggerfish bite me on the forehead recently off Deerfield. For me they are like rats in a garbage dump.

 

[MikeJacobs]

lol Jeremy, Joe and I had a trigger swim closely around us for a while, straight out from Hibiscus... greenish guy, somewhere between 5" and 8" or so... hard to tell size though.

I've played with triggers both as an observer and a feeder and they are creepy little guys... they don't seem intimidated by people. They can tear chunks out of tough squid just by biting - a clean bite, not dragging the squid along with them. They must have sharp teeth to do that.

I was in the dead zone when you came by... deep rems after our two deep dives this morning. Yes, I heard the phone and doorbell but just made them part of the dream. All I remember about the dream, by the way, was that I thought it would make a good idea for a book. Ah, well, I slept through my chance to retire on royalties!

By the time I got home from church you were gone... must have taken off quickly.

Yes, I've read the trigger posts in the MARINE LIFE forum but have never seen them attack here... must be breeding season. Rats in a garbage dump is an apt description, though they're not as repulsive! A school of maurading trigeranah might make another book... something about mixing with the ash from those urns divers have opened around the 'snook place' might be a novel twist.

 

[MikeJacobs]

I had a triggerfish bite me on the forehead recently off Deerfield. For me they are like rats in a garbage dump.

Yikes, once they get the taste of human blood... no telling what will happen lol...

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Wow, I was up at Datura today. A trigger followed us for a while. I even stopped so I could play with it a while, but it suddenly became shy! Hid behind some rubble then peeked its eyes over to look at me...cute!
OTOH, thanks for the heads up, I, too, have been reading about the agressive triggers, and maybe mating season is starting...

 

[jviehe]

When I was in the Keys on the Busch theres this trigger that hangs out on the Buoy and was fun to play with on the SS. He just swims back and forth with the buoy.

http://northfloridadiver.net/media/pics/june03keys/36980014.JPG

 

[CBulla]

I knew that something was up with that damn fish when I dove over there a few weeks back! It was going after my MASK! Quite a brazen little guy since it followed me all over the damn reef, darting back and forth around me.... mostly wanting my mask though... could it be color??

 

[MikeJacobs]

We guessed it was the reflection of themselves in your mask that gets them riled up. Once they get a glimpse of a rival in your mask, they must think that the other fish is inside of you, looking out through the front windshield (sort of).

I knew that something was up with that damn fish when I dove over there a few weeks back! It was going after my MASK! Quite a brazen little guy since it followed me all over the damn reef, darting back and forth around me.... mostly wanting my mask though... could it be color??

 

[H2Andy]

what if you paint a picture of the trigger's dreaded nemesis on your mask? i bet you could swagger around trigger-land with impunity then.

(what would scare a trigger? i guess a shark would scare just about anything. or perhaps a shot of Janet Jackson's half-time superbowl slip)

 

[iflyprops]

There was a DM/Dive shop owner (not sure which) in Jupiter that had the tip of his finger bitten off by a pufferfish...goes to show you not to bother the wildlife!