Balistidae - Triggerfish/Filefish
This gallery contains Triggerfish and Filefish. Filefish are actually members of another family called Monacanthidae. However most field guides and even some professional literature add them to the family Balistidae because they share many of the same characteristics as Triggerfish. Most members of this family are slow-moving, often brightly colored reef dwellers; they have laterally compressed bodies, small mouths and no pelvic fins. Triggerfish are solitary while Filefish can often be found in pairs. Triggerfish are so named because the stout first dorsal spine can be locked rigidly into place by the second spine (the "trigger"). Filefish also share this characteristic.