Flying gurnard | |
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A flying gurnard near Crete, Greece | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Syngnathiformes |
Family: | Dactylopteridae |
Genus: | Dactylopterus Lacépède, 1801 |
Species: | D. volitans |
Binomial name | |
Dactylopterus volitans | |
Synonyms | |
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The flying gurnard (Dactylopterus volitans), also known as the helmet gurnard, is a bottom-dwelling fish of tropical to warm temperate waters on both sides of the Atlantic. [2] On the American side, it is found as far north as Massachusetts (exceptionally as far as Canada) and as far south as Argentina, including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. [3] On the European and African side, it ranges from the English Channel to Angola, including the Mediterranean. [3] This is the only species in the monotypic genus Dactylopterus. Similar and related species from the genus Dactyloptena are found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
This fish is variable in coloration, being brownish or greenish with reddish or yellowish patches. [4] When excited, the fish spreads its "wings", which are semitransparent, with a phosphorescent, bright-blue coloration at their tips. The fish also has large eyes. It reaches up to 50 cm (20 in) in length and 1.8 kg (4.0 lb) in weight. [3]
The fish's main diet consists of small fish, bivalves, and crustaceans. [5]
The flying gurnards are a family, Dactylopteridae, of marine fish notable for their greatly enlarged pectoral fins. As they cannot literally fly or glide in the air, an alternative name preferred by some authors is helmet gurnards. They have been regarded as the only family in the suborder Dactylopteroidei of the Scorpaeniformes but more recent molecular classifications put them in the order Syngnathiformes, in the superfamily Centriscoidea.
Triglidae, commonly known as gurnards or sea robins, are a family of bottom-feeding scorpaeniform ray-finned fish. The gurnards are distributed in temperate and tropical seas worldwide.
The red lionfish is a venomous coral reef fish in the family Scorpaenidae, order Scorpaeniformes. It is mainly native to the Indo-Pacific region, but has become an invasive species in the Caribbean Sea, as well as along the East Coast of the United States and East Mediterranean and also found in Brazil at Fernando de Noronha.
Dactyloptena orientalis, known commonly as the Oriental flying gurnard or purple flying gurnard among other vernacular names, is a species of marine fish in the family Dactylopteridae. Their name is derived from the French word 'gurnard' meaning to grunt, for the grunting sound this fish makes.
The bluefin gurnard or Pacific red gurnard is a species of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. Its Māori names are kumukumu and pūwahaiau. It is found in the western Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean, being common around Australia and New Zealand at depths down to 200 metres (660 ft). The fish is one of the most important commercial fish species in New Zealand.
Helicolenus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Scorpaenidae where they are classified within the subfamily Sebastinae, the rockfishes. The species in this genus are found in the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
The tub gurnard, also known as the sapphirine gurnard, tube-fish, tubfish or yellow gurnard, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It is exploited by commercial fisheries as a food fish.
The piper gurnard, also known as the piper or the lyre gurnard, is a species of marine, demersal ray-finned fish from the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Trigla.
Helicolenus dactylopterus, blackbelly rosefish, bluemouth rockfish, and bluemouth seaperch, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Sebastinae which is classified within the family Scorpaenidae. This Atlantic species is a typical sit-and-wait predator with a highly cryptic coloration.
The red gurnard, also known as the East Atlantic red gurnard or soldier, is a benthic species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This fish is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.
The streaked gurnard, also known as the African gurnard or rock gurnard, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This fish is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and western Indian Ocean. This species is of commercial importance as a food fish.
Pterois is a genus of venomous marine fish, commonly known as lionfish, native to the Indo-Pacific. It is characterized by conspicuous warning coloration with red or black bands, and ostentatious dorsal fins tipped with venomous spines. Pterois radiata, Pterois volitans, and Pterois miles are the most commonly studied species in the genus. Pterois species are popular aquarium fish. P. volitans and P. miles are recent and significant invasive species in the west Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Mediterranean Sea.
The Cape gurnard is a species of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This species is found in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean and the southwestern Indian Ocean. This species is of commercial importance as a food fish.
The Gabon gurnard is a species of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This species is found in the East Central and Western Atlantic Ocean where they occur at depths of from 15–200 metres (49–656 ft) and also in Cape Verde and the Gulf of Guinea. The species maximum length is 32 centimetres (13 in) TL, but can be as small as 20 centimetres (7.9 in). This species is of commercial importance as a food fish.
The longfin gurnard, the long-finned gurnard or shining gurnard, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This fish is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. This species is of commercial importance as a food fish.
The bigtooth cardinalfish or longtooth cardinalfish is a species of marine fish in the family Apogonidae and the only member of its genus. The bigtooth cardinalfish lives in the west-central Atlantic, off southern Florida, United States, and from the Bahamas to Venezuela, and as far south as Suriname. This species also is found in the east-central Atlantic and the Gulf of Guinea, and has been reported as far as Cape Verde. It is a pale orangeish colour.
Exocoetus volitans, commonly known as the tropical two-wing flyingfish or blue flyingfish, is a species of ray-finned fish native to tropical and subtropical seas. It can glide above the surface of the sea to escape predators.
Exocoetus obtusirostris, commonly known as the oceanic two-wing flyingfish or the blunt-snouted flyingfish, is a species of ray-finned fish native to the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic Ocean. It has the ability to glide above the surface of the water to escape from predators.
Pterygotrigla arabica is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This fish is found in the northern Indian Ocean.
The large-scaled gurnard is a species of marine, demersal ray-finned fish from the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.