Chinese trumpetfish
Aulostomus chinensis
Western Atlantic Trumpetfish
Aulostomus maculatus
About
The trumpetfish is a long, thin ambush hunter that often hangs motionless in the water, waiting for prey to pass below its tube-shaped mouth.
Also known as: trumpetfish, fifer, caribbean trumpetfish, trumpeter
How to tell it apart
Unlike its cornetfish relatives, it often hovers head-down among gorgonian sea fans and pipe sponges, using their shape to hide in plain sight.
Appearance
Its body is long and flattened side to side, ending in a long tubular snout with small jaws and a single barbel on the chin. Colour is usually mottled brown to reddish brown with dark spots, though it can shift to blue-grey, yellow or green to blend in. Silvery streaks cross the head and flanks, and a black bar sits at the base of the dorsal and anal fins.
Habitat
This fish lives on Caribbean and western Atlantic coral reefs, from Florida south toward Brazil.
Conservation
Coral reef and seagrass decline threatens this species, along with predation by invasive lionfish on smaller individuals. It has no species-specific protections but is resilient and can also live on rocky reefs, so it is listed as Least Concern.
Did you know?
It hunts by opening its stretchy, tube-like mouth so fast that it sucks in prey like a vacuum.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
