Triggerfish vs Sea Urchins

If you've ever wondered why the presence of sea urchins can vary enormously in relatively confined areas, the answer is simple – Titan Triggerfish. The spiny sea urchin is the main source of nourishment for the Titan Triggerfish, in fact they seem to be their only enemy.

The triggerfish has adopted two methods in order to obtain this food source from its spiny protection. The first method is when the fish blast a stream of water from its mouth which overturns the sea urchin leaving its unprotected mouth uppermost.

The second method is when the sea urchin is actually plucked from the sea bed in the mouth of the triggerfish and taken towards the surface where it is released to descend, causing the sea urchin to invert and again leaving the unprotected mouth exposed.

The Titan triggerfish also uses the first method is also used for locating small creatures buried beneath the sand as the stream of water clears away surface particles.