Bluespotted cornetfish

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.

Bluespotted cornetfish
Fistularia commersonii from Maldives
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Syngnathiformes
Family: Fistulariidae
Genus: Fistularia
Species:
F. commersonii
Binomial name
Fistularia commersonii
Rüppell, 1838 [2]
Synonyms[3]

Fistularia depressa Günther, 1880

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 off Israel. In the past twenty years, this species experienced a population explosion along the Levantine coast and a rapid spread westward, reaching the westernmost sectors of the Mediterranean[4] and as far north as the Gulf of Lions by 2007.[5][6] At this point, it has been recorded in all Mediterranean sub-basins and is now very common in the eastern part.[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.[5]

Morphology
Fistularia commersonii from French Polynesia

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.[8] 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.[8]

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.[8] It is also sold as an aquarium fish.

Name

The specific name honours the French botanist Philibert Commerson (1727-1773).[9]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bluespotted cornetfish.
Wikispecies has information related to Bluespotted cornetfish.
  1. 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.
  2. "Fistularia commersonii". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  3. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2018). "Fistularia commersoni" in FishBase. February 2018 version.
  4. Domenico Meloni & Pierluigi Piras (2013). "Fistularia commersonii (Syngnathiformes Fistularidae), in the South-Western Mediterranean Sea" (PDF). Biodiversity Journal. 4 (3): 435–438.
  5. 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.
  6. "Fistularia commersonii Bluespotted Cornetfish". Encyclopedia of Life. eol. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  7. Atlas of Exotic Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea (Fistularia commersonii). 2nd Edition. 2021. 366p. CIESM Publishers, Paris, Monaco.https://ciesm.org/atlas/fishes_2nd_edition/Fistularia_commersonii.pdf
  8. Bray, Dianne; Thompson, Vanessa. "Smooth Flutemouth, Fistularia commersonii". Fishes of Australia. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  9. "Biographical Etymology of Marine Organism Names. C". Hans G. Hansson. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
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