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 genus are known from all tropical seas, two occur in our area, one circumtropical species and one endemic.