The cornetfishes or flutemouthsFish of Australia, FISTULARIIDAE Flutemouths (Museum Victoria) are a small family, the Fistulariidae, of extremely elongated fish in the order Syngnathiformes. The family consists of a single genus, Fistularia, with four species, found worldwide in tropical and subtropical marine environments.Fritzsche, R.A. 1976. A review of the cornetfishes, genus Fistularia (Fistulariidae) with a discussion of intrageneric relationships and zoogeography. Bulletin of Marine Science 26(2): 196–204.
Ranging up to in length, cornetfishes are as thin and elongated as many eels, but are distinguished by very long snouts, distinct dorsal and anal fins, and forked caudal fins whose center rays form a lengthy filament. The lateral line is well-developed and extends onto the caudal filament.
Cornetfish are found in tropical and temperate marine waters around the world, in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. They are often found in coastal waters over soft-bottomed areas like coral reefs, sand flats, and seagrass beds, where they feed on small fishes, crustaceans, and other invertebrates.
Cornetfish are of minor interest for fishing, 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 C. H. Gilbert & Starks, 1904 (Pacific cornetfish) Fistularia petimba Lacépède, 1803 (red cornetfish) Fistularia tabacaria Linnaeus, 1758 (cornetfish or blue-spotted cornetfish)
The following fossil species are also known:
†Fistularia contermina Daniltshenko, 1960 - Oligocene of North Caucasus, Russia †Fistularia licatae Sauvage, 1880 - Miocene of Italy †Fistularia koenigii Agassiz, 1839 - Oligocene of Switzerland
The species F. longirostris was formerly placed in this genus, but is now placed in Parasynarcualis.
References
External links
Cornetfish video from Makena Landing, Maui Hawaii YouTube 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