by Amanda Thompson

It seems like only yesterday New England Aquarium researchers, aquarists and students at Roger Williams University were celebrating the success of hatching and raising the very first queen triggerfish in captivity from one of the eggs collected from the Giant Ocean Tank. Now, one year on, June 26 marked the queen triggerfish’s first birthday.


Photo: Andy Rhyne

Although it is still a juvenile, researcher Andy Rhyne often refers to it as, "a brute of a fish" and aquarist Christopher Payne, who currently works with the fish, remarks that, "It's a pretty amazing fish with its coloration, teeth and personality." And both find it fascinating to watch it eat urchins, mussels and the occasional crab!

Currently, it is being kept in a quarantine tank along with fish that were recently collected from a Bahamas expedition. They are all undergoing a copper sulfate treatment to rid them of any possible parasites, and should be ready to make an appearance in the Giant Ocean Tank soon!