They are covered with scales and thick leathery skin. Both anal and dorsal rays are elongated and taper posteriorly. Their anal fin lacks spines and has 27 to 29 rays their caudal fin is doubly concave and crescent-shaped and has long trailing filaments their first dorsal fin has 3 spines and the first spine is very elongated and can be locked erect their second dorsal fin has 29 to 32 rays. They have small eyes that are set well back on top of their head. Their head has a small mouth that opens at the front and is equipped with 8 hefty outer teeth on the upper and lower jaws and small notched teeth that are longer and pointed. Juveniles are paler in color being gray-brown with blue oblique lines across their head the sides of their body are dashed with oblique black lines and they also have shorter fins than adults. They have the ability to change colors to adapt to their surroundings or when under stress or breeding. The edges of their anal, caudal, and dorsal fins are blue. They also have a blue bar across their caudal peduncle. They have two wide oblique bright blue bands extending from their snout to below and in front of their pectoral fins as well as blue lines with yellow borders radiating from their eyes the lower band is continuous with a blue ring around their lips. They are distinctively colored with various shades of purple, green, yellow, and brown on their back and yellow-orange on the lower portions of their head and abdomen. The Queen Triggerfish have robust, compressed, oblong, and relatively deep bodies with a depth that is 52% to 56% of standard length. Globally, there are seven species in the genus Balistes, three of which are found in Mexican waters, two in the Atlantic and one in the Pacific Ocean. The Queen Triggerfish, Balistes vetula, is a member of the Triggerfish or Balistidae Family, that is known in Mexico as cochino. Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of George Brinkman, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Fish caught from coastal waters off Hopetown, Bahamas, March 2004. Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, Sebastian, Florida. Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Josh Leisen (), Gaylord, Michigan. Fish caught from coastal waters off Belize, March 2004.
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