Red cornetfish (Fistularia petimba) is a saltwater, brackish species recorded in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, United States. It is mainly found over reef, at depths of 10–200 m. The main season in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, United States runs all year.
Scientific name: Fistularia petimba · Water: Saltwater, Brackish · Season: All year
Size: up to 200 cm
The red cornetfish is a sublittoral species of coastal soft bottoms, usually below 10 m and typically at 18-57 m. It feeds on small fishes and shrimps. FishBase gives a maximum of 200 cm total length and a common length of about 180 cm, but also notes that no specimen over 100 cm is known to J.E. Randall - so the common-length figure has to be doubted, and fish actually seen run under a metre. Found all year.
Beyond the Indo-Pacific it is also widespread in the warmer parts of the Atlantic, including the waters of Australia and Hawaii, and it has been recorded on rare occasions in the Mediterranean. It lives mostly in subtropical regions; in the tropics it tends instead to occur deeper or in places with cold upwellings. It is oviparous and lays large pelagic eggs that hatch into larvae only 6 to 7 mm long, and the juveniles move into estuarine habitats. Its hunting method is distinctive: a crepuscular, stealthy predator, it stalks shoals of small fish by moving towards them slowly, using its slender form to hide, then darts forward when close enough and sucks the prey into its mouth.
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