The trumpetfishes are three species of highly specialized, tubularly-elongated marine fishes in the genus Aulostomus, of the monogeneric family Aulostomidae. The trumpetfishes are members of the order Syngnathiformes, together with the seahorses and the similarly built, closely related cornetfishes.[5][6]
The generic name, Aulostomus, is a composite of two Greek words: aulos, meaning flute, and stoma, meaning mouth, because the species appear to have tubular snouts.[5] "Flutemouth" is another less-common name for the members of the family (although this word is more often used to refer to closely related cornetfishes of the family Fistulariidae).
Trumpetfishes are found in tropical waters worldwide, with two species in the Atlantic and one in the Indo-Pacific. They are mostly demersal reef-dwellers, where one species seems to prefer rocky substrate.
They are relatively large for reef fish, where they reach almost 1 m in length. Bodies of trumpetfish are elongated, rigid, and pike-shaped.[7] Their dorsal and anal fins are closely adjacent to the tail, where individual dorsal spines reach midway towards the head region. Similar to most members of the order Syngnathiformes, the bodies of trumpetfish are inflexible, supported by interwoven struts of bone. A distinct trait of the family is their long, tubular snouts ending with somewhat nondescript jaws. Members of the family have the capability to expand their jaws quickly into a circular, gaping hole almost to the body's diameter when feeding.
Aulostomids are highly carnivorous fish. They stalk[7] their prey by hovering almost motionlessly a few inches above the substrate, inching their way towards unsuspecting prey. Once close enough, they rapidly dart in and expand their jaws rapidly. Opening their tube-like mouths in quick succession creates a strong suction force, which draws prey straight into the mouth. Aulostomids are known to feed almost exclusively on small, schooling reef fishes.[8]
While they have no commercial fisheries value, members of the family have been known to occasionally be found in the aquarium trade. Although not popular aquarium fish, they are common enough to have websites featuring instructions on keeping them in captivity.[9]
^Cite error: The named reference FishBase was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Bailly N, ed. (2017). "Aulostomidae Rafinesque, 1815". FishBase. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
^Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Aulostomidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
^Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Aulostomidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
^ abFroese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2011). "Aulostomidae" in FishBase. February 2011 version.
^"Aulostomidae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 4 February 2007.
^ abJuanes, F.; Buckel, J.A.; Scharf, F.S. (2002). "12 Feeding Ecology of Piscivorous Fishes". (Juanes,%20Buckel,%20Scharf).pdf Handbook of fish biology and fisheries(PDF). Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-632-05412-3. {{cite book}}: Check |url= value (help) Accessed 2009-06-08.
^Orr, J.W. & Pietsch, T.W. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 170–171. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
^"Chinese trumpetfish – Aulostomus chinensis". Aquatic Community Tropical Fish. AquaticCommunity.com. 2004. Retrieved 4 February 2007.
large for reef fish, where they reach almost 1 m in length. Bodies of trumpetfish are elongated, rigid, and pike-shaped. Their dorsal and anal fins are...
USS Trumpetfish (SS-425), a Balao-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for trumpetfish, any of several fishes so-called...
The Chinese trumpetfish, Aulostomus chinensis, is a demersal marine fish belonging to the family Aulostomidae. Aulostomus chinensis is a medium-sized...
The Atlantic trumpetfish (Aulostomus strigosus), also referred to as Atlantic coronetfish, is a species of trumpetfish in the family Aulostomidae. It...
Aulostomus maculatus, the West Atlantic trumpetfish, is a long-bodied fish with an upturned mouth. It often swims vertically while trying to blend with...
tabacaria, the cornetfish, blue-spotted cornetfish, tobacco trumpetfish or unarmed trumpetfish, is a species of cornetfish found along the Atlantic coasts...
Mrs. Carolyn Park Mills, and commissioned on 11 April 1946. Tusk and Trumpetfish are erroneously listed with the Tench class in some sources, as their...
Eekaulostomus was a syngnathiform, a member of the same order as modern trumpetfish, cornetfish, pipefish, and seahorses. It can be distinguished from other...
bellowfish, common bellowsfish, snipe-fish, snipefish, spine trumpet fish, or trumpetfish, Macroramphosus scolopax, is a snipefish of the genus Macroramphosus...
sensu lato. Flying gurnards are particularly close to the Aulostomidae (trumpetfish) and Fistulariidae (cornetfish), and would have to be included with these...
bonitos), barracudas, jacks, billfish, flatfishes, and aulostomoid (trumpetfish and cornetfish). However, the discovery of the Cretaceous cusk eel Pastorius...
is thought to be a member of Aulostomoidea, making it a relative of trumpetfish and cornetfish. "PBDB". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-03-07. Carnevale...
clownfish, powder blue tang, pufferfish, parrotfish, moray eel, Chinese trumpetfish, redtoothed triggerfish, and butterfly fish. Marine dolphins along the...
Seahorse Symphony exhibit opened in 1998 and ran through 2003. It featured trumpetfish, snipefish, shrimpfish, leafy seadragon, banded pipefish, seahorse, and...
Cynoscion regalis Y Y Wels catfish Silurus glanis Y Y West Atlantic trumpetfish Aulostomus maculatus Y Y Western Atlantic finless eel Apterichtus kendalli...
Bali Backshall goes in search of Pufferfish, Lionfish, Frogfish and Trumpetfish. Back on land, Backshall meets two sisters whose charity is helping to...
27, 1945. Sunk as a target off Pearl Harbor on June 4, 1946, by USS Trumpetfish. The wreck was found in 2013. I-401 – Surrendered August 29, 1945. Sunk...
Global Information
