Dietary Shifts in the Queen Triggerfish, Balistes vetula, in the Absence of its Primary Food Item, Diadema antillarum

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Abstract
The long‐spined sea urchinDiadema antillarumhas been reported to be the major food item of the queen triggerfish,Balistes vetulain the Caribbean. This sea urchin has undergone a massive mortality on reefs throughout the Caribbean during 1983. The dietary habits of twenty‐three queen triggerfish from patch reef habitats in Belize were examined. It was found that crabs and chitons now form the major dietary items whenD. antillarumis not available. It is suggested that this predator, which was previously specialized on a single food item, is able to shift resource utilization in the absence of its primary food source, and that the queen triggerfish can capture diverse prey from a wide variety of habitats.