Editing Triggerfish (section)

==Anatomy and appearance==
The largest member of the family, the [[stone triggerfish]] (''Pseudobalistes naufragium''), reaches {{convert|1|m|ft|abbr=on}},<ref>{{FishBase|genus=Pseudobalistes|species=naufragium|year=2015|month=February}}</ref> but most species have a maximum length between {{convert|20|and(-)|50|cm|in|abbr=on|0}}.<ref name=Lieske/> Triggerfish appear to have grown to even larger sizes in the geologic past, with the extinct [[fossil]] species ''[[Balistes crassidens]]'' and ''[[Balistes vegai]]'', both from the [[Miocene]] of the [[Caribbean]], potentially reaching up to {{Convert|1.8|m|ft}}, making them the largest triggerfishes known to have ever existed.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Viñola Lopez |first1=Lazaro W. |last2=Carr |first2=Richard |last3=Lorenzo |first3=Logel |date=2020-10-20 |title=First occurrence of fossil Balistes (Tetradontiformes: Balistidae) from the Miocene of Cuba with the description of a new species and a revision of fossil Balistes |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2019.1580278 |journal=Historical Biology |volume=32 |issue=9 |pages=1290–1299 |bibcode=2020HBio...32.1290V |doi=10.1080/08912963.2019.1580278 |issn=0891-2963|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Triggerfish have an oval-shaped, highly compressed body. The head is large, terminating in a small but strong-jawed mouth with teeth adapted for crushing shells. The eyes are small, set far back from the mouth, at the top of the head. The [[anterior]] [[dorsal fin]] is reduced to a set of three spines. The first spine is stout and by far the longest. All three are normally retracted into a groove. Characteristic of the order [[Tetraodontiformes]], the anal and [[Posterior (anatomy)|posterior]] dorsal fins are capable of undulating from side to side to provide slow movement and comprise their primary mode of [[propulsion]]. The sickle-shaped [[caudal fin]] is used only to escape predators.

The two [[pelvic fin]]s are overlaid by skin for most of their length and fused to form a single [[Spine (zoology)|spine]], terminated by very short rays, their only external evidence. Gill plates ([[Operculum (fish)|opercula]]), although present, are also not visible, overlaid by the tough skin, covered with rough, rhomboid [[Scale (zoology)|scales]] that form a stout armor on their bodies. The only gill opening is a vertical slit, directly above the [[Pectoral fin|pectoral]] fins. This peculiar covering of the gill plates is shared with other members of the Tetradontae. Each jaw contains a row of four teeth on either side, while the upper jaw contains an additional set of six plate-like [[pharyngeal teeth]].

As a protection against [[Predation|predators]], triggerfish can erect the first two dorsal spines: the first (anterior) spine is locked in place by erection of the short second spine, and can be unlocked only by depressing the second, "trigger" spine, hence the family name "triggerfish".

With the exception of a few species from the genus ''[[Xanthichthys]]'', the sexes of all species in this family are similar in appearance.