grey triggerfish
Nomes alternativos: Balistes capriscus, Filefish, Leatherjacket, Turbot
The grey triggerfish lives in the shallow waters of the western Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Argentina and also the eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and off Angola on the west coast of Africa.
It is a medium-sized fish with a common length of 44 centimeters. The small beak-like mouth at the tip of the snout has fleshy lips, while the eyes are positioned near the top of the head.
The body of the fish is laterally compressed and it has a tough, leathery skin. The front dorsal fin has three spines, with a first spine that is very strong and much longer than the other two. The second dorsal fin has 26 to 29 soft rays and is roughly the same size and shape as the anal fin directly below it which has no spines and 23 to 26 soft rays. The pectoral fins are small and rounded.
The grey triggerfish is coloured in various tones of grey, from pale grey to greenish-grey or yellowish-brown.