Triggerfish are a group of ray-finned fishes belonging to the Balistidae family within the Tetraodontiformes order (along with pufferfish and ocean sunfish, among others) There are 40 described species, and they all live in tropical and subtropical waters. They get their name because the second spine on their dorsal fin acts as a trigger of sorts for the first spine. Erecting the second spine locks the first in place and relaxing the second spine unlocks it. With this adaptation the triggerfish can wedge itself into crevices and use the dorsal spine to hold itself in place. It certainly wouldn’t feel great to bite down on that spine either. Today we’re looking at a figure of the queen triggerfish (Balistes vetula) by Safari Ltd., a holy grail figure of mine that I was recently able to obtain and am eager to share here.
The queen triggerfish is found in the Atlantic Ocean, from the Azores to Southern Angola in the eastern Atlantic, and from Canada to Brazil in the western Atlantic where it dwells over reefs and rocky bottoms. Queen triggerfish primarily feed on benthic invertebrates and will flip sea urchins over by blowing water at them. Triggerfish have strong jaws and teeth adapted for crushing shells and can deliver a nasty bite to divers that get too close to their nest.
The Safari queen triggerfish is part of their Incredible Creatures line and was in production from 2008-2016. Aside from a small figure included in the Flippers, Fins and Fun set by Safari, it is the only queen triggerfish toy that I’m aware of. The figure has a total length of 6.25” (15.875 cm) while the actual fish reaches a maximum total length of 23.6” (60.0 cm) and an average length of 11.8” (30.0 cm). This puts the figure between 1/3-1/1.8 in scale. The figure is hollow and unable to stand without some kind of support.
The figure nicely illustrates the laterally compressed, oval shape of triggerfish in general. The head is large with the eyes placed far back and high atop the head. Enlarged incisor-like teeth can be seen within its slightly open mouth. A small vertical slit above each pectoral fin is all we have for a gill opening, since most of a triggerfish’s operculum is covered by skin and scales.
The anterior dorsal fin possesses three erect spines with the first spine being the largest. The pelvic fins are overlaid by skin for most of their length, forming a single spine. Rays are detailed along the pectoral fins, posterior dorsal fin, anal fin, and caudal fin. The posterior dorsal, anal, and caudal fin rays are individually defined and lifelike, some of the best I’ve seen on a toy fish.
Long filaments extend from the tips of the posterior dorsal and caudal fins. In life, triggerfish mostly move about by undulating their posterior dorsal and anal fins, like other Tetraodontiformes. Triggerfish have diamond shaped scales that are illustrated with cross-hatching on the figure. I wish they varied in size depending on their location on the body but the figure is fantastically detailed and accurate overall, especially for its age.
This figure must be one of the most elaborately painted I’ve seen from Safari Ltd. It’s a combination of greens, oranges, pinks, and blues with a glossy sheen over it. Also included are diagnostic features like the blue bands over the snout that run below and in front of pectoral fins, a blue ring around the lips, a broad blue band over the caudal peduncle, and blue sub-marginal bands on the median fins.
My only real complaint about this figure is that it cannot stand but it’s not always practical to make a toy fish stand, especially one with fused pelvic fins. There are ways around that though, and the Safari queen triggerfish is an absolutely stunning piece that should appeal to fish and marine life collectors. This figure is retired and rarely shows up on eBay. When it does, it’s usually expensive, but it also pops up in lots and that’s how I got mine.
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