Titan Triggerfish be aware!

[drbill]

I've been "attacked" by Titans, yellow margin and other triggers as I attempted to film them. Worst incident was in Tahiti when one bit my fin as I was backing away horizontally from its cone of defense. Good thing our local triggers (finescale) aren't aggressive... they actually back off from divers.

 

[martincohn]

This story always gets an initial weird look until people think about it a little...

Me: so what gradient factors do you put on your backup DC or do you just match primary.
Them: 100/100
Me: why so high?
Them: in case you get your finger bit off by a trigger
Me: initial weird look then hmmm

And please no deco discussions. Its just a funny story.

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

Koh Tao was my first experience with one two. I managed to flail myself out of the cone of danger but that was more accidental than intentional. It's my understanding that quite a few divers have had some bad luck with the Koh Tao triggers.

I have seen some pictures of divers after a trigger fish attack. Nasty looking wounds.

 

[Dominik_E]

Wow, so many experiences!

 

[HKGuns]

I saw several of these while diving in India. Didn't know what they were until this thread

They didn't seem too interested in me and I think I got fairly close as they were going to town on whatever they were eating on the reef and they were the largest of the smaller fish I saw on those dives.

Good to know they can be aggressive.

 

[drakcheslav]

A titan attached and bit my brother on his first dive ever. It bit him on his arm, and then proceeded to attack his fins. Looks like he unknowingly passed her nest.
What was strange, the bite mark developed small hard balls underneath his skin for quite a long time. The doctor said that it will pass in a month or so, but basically some kind of toxin.

Those fishes are crazy and agressive

 

[tridacna]

Tr

A titan attached and bit my brother on his first dive ever. It bit him on his arm, and then proceeded to attack his fins. Looks like he unknowingly passed her nest.
What was strange, the bite mark developed small hard balls underneath his skin for quite a long time. The doctor said that it will pass in a month or so, but basically some kind of toxin.

Those fishes are crazy and agressive

...but their bites are not toxic. Unless he ate it afterwards. Only a few species are aggressive. Most are very docile.

 

[drakcheslav]

That's what the doctor at the dive center said. No idea why. Maybe some kind of allergic reaction to it.

 

[SaltwaterNomad]

I had a DM in Palau missing part of his ear from a triggerfish bite, and I personally had a gray triggerfish follow me taking nips at my smb for almost an entire dive in the Azores. Tried everything including purging octo and just couldn't get rid of him. Didn't seem to be very aggressive just really liked my smb.

 

[tridacna]

My favorite fishie name:

HUMUHUMUNUKUNUKU'PUA'A Trigger Fish.

AKA Rhinecanthus or the Huma huma or the Picasso trigger from Hawaii.