Moustache Triggerfish
When: March 2023
Where: Cosmeledo Island, Seychelles
Family Balistidae : Balistoides virisdescens
The mean and beautiful Triggerfish.
Taking a break from my Brazilian species (where I was able to catch 7 of 8 available targets caught), I am stepping back to look at one of most fun, if not the best fish to catch at Cosmo. It was a large fish for the species and area and a lot of fun to catch.
Most triggerfish can be found on shallow reefs and flats making them a frequent, if not frustrating, fish to catch on the fly. The Moustache Triggers on Cosmo tended to be close to reefed bottoms in shallow water so they could run into holes, or we would see them in areas close to large coral “bommie” situated on the white sandy flats.
I think there are two other species of triggers in the area – either Cosmo or Alphonse – Yellow Margin and Picasso but I only caught the Moustache species. I had hoped to catch a Picasso but just kept missing them or they were skittish. Presentation and patience are critical.
There are about 40 different species with the greatest number of species being in the Indo-Pacific area. The largest member (Stone Triggerfish) can reach 1 meter, but most species are between 20-40cm. Their teeth are adapted for crushing shells. A unique aspect of the species is that they can erect their first two dorsal spines – hence “triggerfish” so you need to be a bit careful handling them after bringing them in.
Triggers are best caught on a low tide as you can see them tailing (not always so keep your eyes open) but I caught them on various tides. It was just a matter of seeing them, presentation, patience and then moving to keep them out of a hole after hooked.
You need to be stealthy and quiet. See the fish – watch what it is doing, where its head is looking and if it seems like it’s about to move. Know the limits of your casting ability as you need to make your first cast count – you might not get another as they are extremely skittish (I learned from experience – the first few shots were hard when I missed or was off). You also need some luck – and time on the water finding them at the right time. Strip set!
They have a wide diet ranging from shrimp, squid, fish, clams, or crabs.
Daniel Keller Moustache Triggerfish
As you can see in the photo above, I caught the one above while wading in an area with around two feet of water (little water movement) on a clear, perfect Seychelles day. It was in a grassy/reef area, and I saw the fish from pretty far away.
I caught mine on a small crab pattern. The Trigger has a very strong mouth, so it pounds the fly. I, like many fishermen, kept the fly I caught my 1st Trigger on which sits proudly on my desk. See below:
What the crab looks like BEFORE Hook Up and Catch:
Typical Alphonse Crab – There are different varieties – generally various forms of a Alphlexo Crab fly.
This is close to the one I used:
My trophy fly to remind me of my first Triggerfish is below. It sits right on my desk. The remains of my crab from my first Trigger: Just DESTROYED
What a great fish to catch. I look forward to targeting a lot of other species in different locations.