Grey triggerfish

Grey triggerfish
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Tetraodontiformes
Family:	Balistidae
Genus:	Balistes
Species:	B. capriscus
Binomial name
Balistes capriscus J. F. Gmelin, 1789 [2]
Synonyms[2]
List Balistes buniva Lacepède, 1803 Balistes caprinus Valenciennes, 1839 Balistes capriscus Gronow, 1854 Balistes carolinensis Gronow, 1854 Balistes forcipatus Gmelin, 1789 Balistes fuliginosus DeKay, 1842 Balistes moribundus Cope, 1871 Balistes powellii Cope, 1870 Balistes spilotopterygius Walbaum, 1792 Balistes taeniopterus Poey, 1860 Nematobalistes forcipatus (Gmelin, 1789)

The grey triggerfish (Balistes capriscus), or gray triggerfish, is a species of ray-finned fish in the triggerfish family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. The species is native to shallow parts of the western Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Argentina and also the eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and off Angola on the west coast of Africa.

In its appearance and habits, the grey triggerfish is a typical member of the genus Balistes except for its drab, uniformly grey colouration. It is a relatively small fish, usually less than 2.3 kg (5.1 lb) in weight. It is fished recreationally and despite its tough skin, is an excellent food-fish.^[3] The species is classified as ‘vulnerable’ by the IUCN Red List.