Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing cornetfish. Cornetfish are also known as flutemouths and they somewhat resemble the trumpet fish to whom they're closely related. There are a handful of living, classified cornetfish species, and they range from tropical to subtropical seas around the world. Cornetfish live in marine and brackish coastal waters in reefs, seagrass beds, and over sandy bottom areas. Some species prefer deeper water that can reach more than 330 feet (100m) below the waves.

These fish are easy to identify. If their long snout wasn't enough to give them away, the long trailing filament between their tail fins certainly is! Cornetfish can reach six feet (1.8m) in length including this long filament which can be as long as their entire body. Though they're long, cornetfish also look squished, like someone stepped on them. They're almost always wider than they are tall! They have a dorsal fin that sits way far back on their body postponed right about their anal fin. Their caudal, or tail fin, is split and the filament dangles from the middle.

This filament is lined with sensory pores and may aid the cornetfish in finding prey. Like a seahorse, they suck prey in through the tiny mouth positioned at the end of their long snout. Cornetfish are stalking predators. They swim about 3 feet (1m) above the ocean floor in search of tasty meals. They're active during the day, though some sources also list them as hunting at night. They slowly approach their quarry which can include fish and their larvae as well as crustaceans. Cornetfish may even use larger fish, like grouper, to hide themselves until the perfect moment to strike. They'll bend their body into an S-shape and then launch forward to suck their prey in instantly. Cornetfish hunt solitarily or in small, loosely formed groups. Fascinatingly, they can change color to blend in with their environment. This not only helps them sneak up on prey, but also avoid predation from other larger fish! While stationary, they have vertical banding that helps break up their outline, but while swimming these bands disappear. They swim in an eel or snake-like undulating motion.

Little is known about the cornetfish's life cycle. They begin life as an egg. These are fertilized externally in spawning events. Sources indicate that these fish prefer to breed in warmer months, but they have a long breeding season and they likely mate multiple times a year with offspring growing at different rates throughout the year. Cornetfish larvae are planktonic as well. They don't have the long snout or tail filament when they hatch at about 6mm in length. Once they double this size, their nose is growing. After nearly doubling this, at 22mm long, the filament has appeared. It's unknown how long this process takes or how they live in the wild.

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