Fistularia commersonii

The bluespotted cornetfish or Fistularia commersonii is a fish of the Fistlaria family belonging to the order Syngnathiformes. It is common in seagrass beds as well as shallow coral reefs. It is distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea to Panama, and from the coasts of Japan to Hawaii.

Source: FAO

Fistularia commersonii is a species of considerable size, reaching up to 1.6 meters in length, although the most common is to see specimens of about 1 meter at most. Its body is therefore very elongated and is slightly more flattened in the lateral sense than in the back-ventral one. It has a tubular snout, long and narrow, with a small mouth located at the front end. It stands out from its head, its big eyes. Both the dorsal and anal fins are located in the rear third of the body, and both at the same vertical height. All fins of Fistularia commersonii lack spines and have only soft rays: 14-17 on the dorsal fin, 13-15 on the pectoral fins, 14-16 on the anal fin and 6 on the pelvic fins. The caudal fin has two clearly differentiated lobes, and in the center a white filament of considerable length. As for the colors of the body of Fistularia commersonii, the base color is olive-brown on the dorsal side, which gradually changes to a light silver color as we approach the ventral side. They have a couple of blue lines or sometimes blue dots arranged in a line, along the back. The anal and dorsal fins are practically translucent at their bases and with a slight orange tone at the ends. In juvenile specimens, the caudal fin takes on a dark coloring.

Fistularia commersonii feeds on small fish, as well as crustaceans and molluscs.

As for reproduction, it is an oviparous species that releases the eggs and sperm into the water, where fertilization occurs to form the larvae. At birth, the larvae are between 6 and 7 millimeters in size.


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Author: Rüppell, 1838
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Teleostei
Order: Syngnathiformes
Family: Fistulariidae
Genus: Fistularia

Synonyms: Bluespotted cornetfish, Cornetfish, Flutefish, Smooth cornetfish, Reef cornetfish
Non-accepted names: Fistularia comerson; Fistularia commersoni; Fistularia depressa; Fistularis commersoni

Distribution: Indian, Pacific
Size: 100-160 cm
Depth: 0-132 m

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