Massive Ocean Triggerfish

A majority of the day was spent taking an exam for my Marine Ecology Field Research Methods class. It was a three-part exam that tested our knowledge on all the methodologies that we have learned so far this semester as well as identification of coral diseases, fish, coral, and algae species.

• Part 1 - PowerPoint: Identifying different coral diseases, coral and fish species. 
• Part 2 - Written: Short answer questions covering all the material we have covered in lectures including different monitoring programs, benthic surveys, coral surveys, fish surveys, and CPC analysis of video transects.
• Part 3 - Underwater: Identifying different coral diseases, coral, algae, and fish species.

During the underwater portion of the exam, I saw the biggest ocean triggerfish, which was easily over 2 feet long. Typically, ocean triggerfish range in size from 10-18 inches, so this one definitely exceeded that range. This fish belongs in the family Balistidae where they have a swimming style that is referred to as balistiform. Balistiform means they use their dorsal and anal fins for locomotion.