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Cornetfish

Fish · Least Concern

Cornetfish

Fistularia commersonii

About

The bluespotted cornetfish (Fistularia commersonii), also called the smooth cornetfish or smooth flutemouth, is a marine fish in the family Fistulariidae. This exceptionally long, slender reef-dweller belongs to the order Syngnathiformes, the same group that includes the pipefishes and seahorses.

Family
Fistulariidae
Avg size
100-150 cm
Habitat
It is widely distributed through tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, ranging as far north as Japan and east to the Pacific coasts of the Americas, including Panama and Mexico's Sea of Cortez, as well as the Red Sea. Its presence in the Mediterranean was first reported off Israel in 2000, after which it underwent a population boom in the Levantine Sea and spread rapidly westward, reaching the western Mediterranean and the Gulf of Lions by 2007. It has now been recorded in every Mediterranean sub-basin and is very common in the eastern part.
Behaviour
The bluespotted cornetfish is usually a solitary predator that stalks small fishes, crustaceans and squid. At times individuals feed in small groups along the bottom, using their long snouts to suck up small bottom-dwelling fish, and they are especially effective at preying on young fish sheltering in seagrass meadows (Posidonia oceanica), which can sharply reduce the survival of native fish populations. They may also hover or swim in small schools just beneath the surface. Reproduction is by egg-laying, with the large eggs hatching outside the body and larvae emerging at about 6 to 7 mm (0.24 to 0.28 in).

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Where & When to See It

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