Triggerfish weird sleeping positions

[silverA3]

I have a Picasso Trigger named Nigel that sleeps in the weirdest positions ive ever seen and was wondering if anyone elses Triggers sleep in odd positions as well. The picture I uploaded is him jammed between 2 pieces of rock, tail in the air, and mouth virtually in the ground. Some nights I find him wedged between 2 rocks laying on his side. Half the time I think he's dead, I have even moved rocks before to make sure, but every single time, hes alive and well, just jammed between some rocks.

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

Yes I had a clown trigger that did the same thing. It used to freak me out at first too. Later I realized it's a safe way to sleep if you live in the ocean. The trigger fish jams himself into rocks, then opens his " trigger" fins up. It locks him in place. Now if something grabs him to try to eat him they can't pull him out of the rocks. It's cute watching them get settled for the night but even cuter watching them get disentangled in the morning. Great photos. Thanks for sharing!

 

[azkass]

I've had many triggers and its very common behavior. One time I actually tried pulling a Niger out that I thought was dead. He wasn'too happy that I disturbed his nap.

 

[ademster]

My niger trigger does the same, sometimes it'll even dig out sand under a rock and sleep there. Theyre weird fish for sure.

 

[silverA3]

Yes mine insists on burrowing under every rock he can find as well. Glad to know this is just normal goofy Trigger behavior.

 

[Scinkman91]

How long does a triggerfish usually sleep?

 

[NeppyNeptune]

All Triggerfish that I have owned slept like that. Normal stuff. Don't tug on him or he'll growl

 

[AZBigJohn]

Yep. I actually thought I had lost one once, because I couldn't find it. Started pulling rocks out to find "the body" and after a rock had been out of the water for a couple minutes, it came out of a deep crevice I couldn't see inside, and started flopping around.

Back in the tank, and was fine...