4 bizarre facts about the Titan Triggerfish, Malaysia’s angriest fish.

If there’s one thing that we know about the CILISOS writers, it’s that we work hard. Like REALLY hard.

And so, after a long and hectic week spent slaving away working at the SOS, this writer decided to go on a quick island getaway where she was greeted by clear waters, sandy beaches, and… many more unexpected surprises that lay waiting for her in the ocean.

‘Cause while most people might fear bumping into a shark while snorkeling or scuba diving, we found out the hard way that what she should’ve actually been looking out for was something that was wayyy smaller, but that much more menacing:

Chances are if you’ve gone snorkeling and scuba diving enough in our local waters, you might’ve already heard about this fish’s tropical reign of terror. It’s known as the Titan Triggerfish, which is a fish that’s simply characterized by its ugly unique-looking features and bad temper.

Now, you might be wondering what could be so intriguing about this fish that we decided to give it a CILISOS article of its very own. Well, for starters…

 

1. They have a set of huge, creepy-looking teeth.

We’re not sure if you remember this, but awhile ago there was this photo of a triggerfish in Malaysia that went viral online for having a set of human-like pearly whites.

bibir dia lagi seksi dari aku 😭 pic.twitter.com/zzq8IPWzvD

— raffnasir 🏴 (@raffnasir_) July 2, 2020

But unfortunately, it was debunked as fake by experts who pointed out that the picture could be photoshopped- as the triggerfish’s teeth are actually pretty large, since these species of fish actually feed on sea urchins, mollusks, crustaceans, and even coral… which you can imagine requires quite a heavy-duty set of chompers to omnomnom on.

But crunching on shells isn’t all that these sharp teeth do, ’cause…

 

2. They’ve probably dealt more damage to divers than sharks have.

In case you were wondering; yes, these fish do pack a pretty nasty bite. And they will bite. In fact, they have such a reputation amongst people in the diving community for being aggressive, and there have been quite a number of cases where people have had to get stitches after being chomped on by the Titan Triggerfish.

TRIGGER(FISH) WARNING: Blood and Graphic content

Worst part is, their bites are known to contain Ciguatoxin, which could result in a life-threatening disease called Ciguatera causes things like nausea, chills, and even long-term symptoms like abnormally low blood pressure, breathing difficulties, and even muscle paralysis.

Unfortunately, the poison can also be found in their flesh, so it looks like it might not be such a good idea to add Triggerfish on the menu, though some people still do.

Meanwhile in Malaysia, there’s only been 3 recorded incidents where sharks have attacked people; all of which have been non-fatal. So, in comparison to sharks, it looks like the Triggerfish has got them beat.

But just like their names, they don’t often attack, unless they’ve been.. er… triggered.

And their biggest trigger might just be because…

 

3. They’re territorial AF.

Imagine if you were a fish; just swimming around and going about your day, when all of a sudden this ugly hairless monkey (wait do fish even know what monkeys are??) appears outta nowhere and starts to gawk at you and poke around your house?!

Though this could probably apply to all the other fish that exist, but unfortunately they don’t have the ✨assets✨ required to actually do something about it. The titan triggerfish, on the other hand, does. Triggerfish can be very territorial, especially when they have eggs around. And the worst part is? They’re actually pretty fast swimmers, even though they’re also known to swim pretty weird.

Additionally, they’re not just called triggerfish because of how they get triggered by people hanging around their nest, but also because they have two dorsal fins that can be locked in place, and retracted due to a trigger-like mechanism. And just like how some animals have certain patterns or exhibit certain behaviors to make themselves look bigger and more menacing, the Triggerfish whips it out to actually ward off other fishies who might be looking to try their luck.

So, they’re angry, fast, and have a pretty mean bite- Sounds like a fish you probably don’t wanna run into anytime soon. Fortunately though, they don’t always bite, but they will chase you as far as they can to drive you out of their territory; which means that there is a way to escape by swimming away backwards from the area using your diving fins to fend off the fish. But if you don’t have fins… well, good luck.

If you do manage to escape, however, do be wary about coming back to the area because…

 

4. The Titan Triggerfish isn’t as fish-brained as you think.

Oh, but that’s not all. Apparently, they’re highly intelligent, and are able to learn from previous experiences, forage for food, identify individuals, and even hunt crabs onshore by beaching themselves on purpose.

So, this means that there is a chance that these fish might even remember you, and perhaps they might know a little better about how to handle you infiltrating their territory for a second time.

But if there’s one thing that we can say about these fish…

 

These fish are absolute badasses… with fins.

Unfortunately though, as cool as they might be, they are still susceptible to things like our environment changing, pollution, and overfishing, which could see much of our marine life disappearing within the next 300 years. And unless something is done about it, the Titan Triggerfish might soon remain nothing but a memory.

Now you might be thinking; “Good riddance, at least I won’t need to be so careful about my toes being chomped off by a big, ugly fish”. Of course, we could go on a tangent by saying that these fish are actually an important part of our oceans’ ecosystem, as they ensure that our coral reefs survive– But honestly, we just think these fish are pretty badass, and as such, they deserve a fighting chance to procreate, and terrorize us for many years to come.