Red cornetfish

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Red cornetfish

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Syngnathiformes
Family: Fistulariidae
Genus: Fistularia
Species: F. petimba
Binomial name
Fistularia petimba
Lacépède, 1803

The red cornetfish, Fistularia petimba, is a cornetfish of the family Fistulariidae, found in tropical oceans worldwide, at depths of between 10 and 200 m. In Japan they are called Akayagara, and sometimes Teppou (rifle) fish. They are up to 2 m in length.

The red cornetfish is a very elongate and cylindrical fish with a long tubular snout making up a quarter of its total length. At the tip of the snout is a small mouth bearing fine teeth. The small lunate caudal fin has a long filament extending from its centre. The skin is scaleless, and the colour may be pink, yellow, or pale brown, usually with a greenish tinge. There is a row of bony plates along the midline.

They feed on small fish and shrimp.

[edit] References

  • "Fistularia petimba". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
  • Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8