How to Identify a Black Durgeon Fish

Video Transcript

"The marine organism we are going to identify now is the Black Durgeon. The Black Durgeon is a member of the triggerfish family of fishes. Like all triggerfishes, the Black Durgeon has a long spine on the front of its first dorsal fin which can be raised and locked into position. This allows the Black Durgeon to duck into a crack or crevice in the reef and lock itself into place to avoid being eaten or extracted by predators. The Black Durgeon appears in most light underwater as a black, flattened-football shaped fish, with white or light blue lines separating the long dorsal and anal fins. But, in brighter light, such as near the surface of the tropical waters their true colors become more obvious. The black may actually have a bluish or greenish tint. Their face may have a yellow or pink wash, and the irregular bright blue lines around their eyes become more obvious. In this light, they are truly a beautiful fish. They have a tiny mouth located essentially in the middle of their face. Black Durgeon are usually found in small groups near deep water reefs, although they may rise far above the reef to feed. So, you may actually be able to see them more closely on a safety stop at the end of a dive under the dive boat. They are rarely found below depths of a hundred feet. They are generally six to twelve inches in length, but may reach a maximum length of up to sixteen inches. Black Durgeons are found around the world, although called other names in other regions. They are fairly common fish in the Caribbean and Florida waters. Black Durgeon feed primarily on calcareous algae, zoo plankton, and fitoplankton. They will also feed on leftovers tossed over the side of dive boats, competing with the Yellowtail Jacks that are so common near dive boats. They are generally a shy fish, and will swim away. But, if you are fairly motionless on your safety stop at the end of your dive and Black Durgeons are around, they may swim very near you. Black Durgeon exist as separate male and female specimens, but there are no differences in their coloration. Black Durgeon build nests in the sand by blowing water from their mouths in a jet-like fashion. The nest is a circular, shallow depression in the bottom sand, in which the sticky round eggs are laid and fertilized. The female guards the eggs until they hatch. During this time, the female can be quite aggressive and will bite anything, including divers, who venture too close to the nest. And, the bites can hurt, trust me. I inadvertently drifted too close to a queen triggerfish nest once, and was bit on the top of the head. It hurt like heck, and I had a circular cut on my scalp from the bite. That is the Black Durgeon."