Family: FISTULARIIDAE, Cornetfishes

FAMILY FISTULARIIDAE

CORNETFISHES

These medium sized fishes (70-160 cm), have an extremely elongate, square body; a very long tubular snout with a short oblique mouth at the end; chin without a barbell; minute teeth; no fin spines; dorsal fin sickle-shaped, at rear of body directly over the anal fin, which has same shape, each fin with 14-20 rays; pelvics on abdomen, well behind pectorals; a forked tail fin with a long central filament; body of juveniles covered with small spines; adults of some species with a row of bony plates in front of dorsal and anal fins; lateral line arched at front half of body, continues out onto tail filament.

Five species in one circumtropical genus; two occur in our area, one circumtropical species and trans-Atlantic species.