Queenie rules the waves at Hastings Blue Reef

A giant triggerfish which outgrew its tank at a garden centre is enjoying a spacious new home at Hastings Blue Reef Aquarium.
By The Newsroom
Published 11th Jan 2016, 10:26 BST
Updated 11th Jan 2016, 10:33 BST

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Queenie, the triggerfishQueenie, the triggerfish
Queenie, the triggerfish

Nicknamed ‘Queenie’, the queen triggerfish became a star attraction at Tenterden Garden Centre with some people coming in specifically to see her.

However within a year she had grown too large for her tank and staff at the centre offered to donate it to the Rock-a-Nore Road aquarium.

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Blue Reef Aquarium’s Leanna Lawson said: “Queen triggerfish start off life quite small but they grow really quickly.

“In fact a full-grown triggerfish can be up to 60cm long which makes it way too large for all but the very biggest aquariums.

“Queenie is a fantastic specimen and she is now ruling the waves in our giant ocean display.

“Hopefully some of her fans from Tenterden will come along and see her in her new home.

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“She’s still got a bit more growing to do but she’s definitely a right royal addition to the aquarium and we’d like to thank the guys at the garden centre for looking after he so well and recognising when it was time for her to move on to a more suitable home.”

Found throughout the western Atlantic, the queen triggerfish ranges from Canada to southern Brazil and is commonly seen in Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

It is typically blue, purple, turquoise and green with a yellowish throat, and light blue lines on the fins and head but can change colour somewhat to match its surroundings, or if stressed.

The triggerfish mainly feeds on invertebrates; a particular favourite being sea urchins. They live on coral and rocky reefs in depths of up to 30 metres.

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The species get their name from their lockable dorsal which they use to secure themselves into rocky crevices when they feel threatened.

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