Bluespotted cornetfish
Bluespotted cornetfish | |
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Fistularia commersonii from Maldives | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Syngnathiformes |
Family: | Fistulariidae |
Genus: | Fistularia |
Species: | F. commersonii
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Binomial name | |
Fistularia commersonii | |
Synonyms[3] | |
Fistularia depressa Günther, 1880 |
The bluespotted cornetfish (Fistularia commersonii), also known as smooth cornetfish or smooth flutemouth, is a marine fish which belongs to the family Fistulariidae. This very long and slender reef-dweller belongs to the same order as the pipefishes and seahorses, called Syngnathiformes.
Distribution[]
It is widespread in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific as far north as Japan and east to the west coasts of the Americas,[1] including the Red Sea.[3] In 2000, its presence was reported in the Mediterranean Sea; since then, it has continued to disperse and is now well established in some areas.[4] This species is considered as part of the Lessepsian migration.[5] It has spread rapidly through the Mediterranean from its origin in the Suez Canal, the first records being off Palestine in 2000 and it had reached the southern coast of Spain[6] and as far north as the Gulf of Lions by 2007.[7] Scientists have determined that the fish in the Mediterranean are all descended from a small number of ancestors, possibly as a result of a single invasion event, and are not as genetically variable as their conspecifics in the Red Sea.[7]
Morphology[]
The bluespotted cornetfish grows to a length of 1.6 m (5.2 ft), but the average is around 1 metre (3 ft 3 in).[3] It is notable for its unusually long, slender body shape.[4] It has a tubular snout, large eyes and a long tail filament lined with sensory pores which may help with detecting prey. Its body is greenish-grey to brown with two thin blue stripes or lines of dots on the back and lighter on the front.[3] Its body pattern changes to a broad banded pattern at night.[4]
Biology[]
The bluespotted cornetfish is usually a solitary predator, stalking and feeding on small fishes, crustaceans, and squid.[3] Sometimes, they feed in small groups along the bottom on small, bottom-dwelling fish which their long snouts are very efficient at sucking up. Reproduction is oviparous.[3] The large eggs hatch and develop outside of the body. Larvae hatch at 6–7 millimetres (0.24–0.28 in).
Human relevance[]
The fish is of minor importance commercially, mostly being sold as fish meal but also fresh and preserved.[4] It is also sold as an aquarium fish.
Name[]
The specific name honours the French botanist Philibert Commerson (1727-1773).[8]
References[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bluespotted cornetfish. |
Wikispecies has information related to Bluespotted cornetfish. |
- ^ a b Pollom, R. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Fistularia commersonii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T18257780A115368874. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T18257780A88675577.en.
- ^ "Fistularia commersonii". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- ^ a b c d e f Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2018). "Fistularia commersoni" in FishBase. February 2018 version.
- ^ a b c d Bray, Dianne; Thompson, Vanessa. "Smooth Flutemouth, Fistularia commersonii". Fishes of Australia. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ "Fistularia commersonii Bluespotted Cornetfish". Encyclopedia of Life. eol. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ^ Domenico Meloni & Pierluigi Piras (2013). "Fistularia commersonii (Syngnathiformes Fistularidae), in the South-Western Mediterranean Sea" (PDF). Biodiversity Journal. 4 (3): 435–438.
- ^ a b Ernesto Azzurro; S. Soto; Germana Garafolo & Francesc Maynou (2012). "Fistularia commersoniiin the Mediterranean Sea: Invasion history and distributional modeling based on presence only records". Biological Invasions. 15 (5): 977–990. doi:10.1007/s10530-012-0344-4. hdl:10261/83100.
- ^ "Biographical Etymology of Marine Organism Names. C". Hans G. Hansson. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
External links[]
- DORIS
- Sous les mers
- WoRMS
- Fishbase
- Photos of Bluespotted cornetfish on Sealife Collection
- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Fistulariidae
- Fish described in 1838