The cornetfishes or flutemouths are a small family, the Fistulariidae, of extremely elongated fishes in the order

Syngnathiformes The Syngnathiformes are an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the trumpetfishes and seahorses.FishBase (2005)Order Summary for Syngnathiformes Version of 2005-FEB-15. Retrieved 19 Aug 2008. These fishes have elongated, narrow, bodies sur ...

. The family consists of a single genus, ''Fistularia'', with four species, found worldwide in tropical and subtropical marine environments. Ranging up to in length, cornetfishes are as thin and elongated as many

eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...

s, but are distinguished by very long snouts, distinct

dorsal Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to: * Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism * Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage * Dorsal co ...

and

anal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

s, and forked

caudal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

s whose center rays form a lengthy filament. The

lateral line The lateral line, also called the lateral line organ (LLO), is a system of sensory organs found in fish, used to detect movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in the surrounding water. The sensory ability is achieved via modified epithelial ...

is well-developed and extends onto the caudal filament. They generally live in coastal waters or on

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. Co ...

s, where they feed on small fishes, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. Cornetfish are of minor interest for

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

, and can be found in local markets within their range.

Species

Currently, four recognized species are placed in this genus: * '' Fistularia commersonii'' Rüppell, 1838 (blue-spotted or smooth cornetfish) * ''

Fistularia corneta ''Fistularia corneta'', commonly known as the Pacific cornetfish or the deepwater cornetfish, is a marine fish in the family Fistulariidae. It is endemic to the eastern Pacific Ocean, being found from California to Peru, including many offshore i ...

'' C. H. Gilbert & Starks, 1904 (Pacific cornetfish) * '' Fistularia petimba'' Lacépède, 1803 (red cornetfish) * ''

Fistularia tabacaria ''Fistularia tabacaria'', the cornetfish, blue-spotted cornetfish, tobacco trumpetfish or unarmed trumpetfish, is a species of cornetfish found along the Atlantic coasts of the Americas and in the central Atlantic off West Africa and the Macarone ...

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

, 1758 (cornetfish or blue-spotted cornetfish)

References

External links

Cornetfish video from Makena Landing, Maui HawaiiYouTube video of a group of cornetfish taken in Shark's Bay, Egypt.Genetic bottlenecks and successful biological invasions: the case of a recent Lessepsian migrant by Daniel Golani, Ernesto Azzurro, Maria Corsini-Foka, Manuela Falautano, Franco Andaloro, and Giacomo Bernardi
Fistulariidae Extant Rupelian first appearances Rupelian genus first appearances Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Syngnathiformes-stub