Fistularia commersonii, Rüppell, 1838
The bluespotted cornetfish (Fistularia commersonii), also known as smooth cornetfish or smooth flutemouth, is a marine fish which belongs to the family Fistulariidae. This very long and slender reef-dweller belongs to the same order as the pipefishes and seahorses, called Syngnathiformes.
The bluespotted cornetfish grows to a length of 1.6 m (5.2 ft), but the average is around 1 m (3 ft 3 in). It is notable for its unusually long, slender body shape. It has a tubular snout, large eyes, and a long tail filament lined with sensory pores that may help with detecting prey. Its body is tinted blue- to greenish-grey with two thin blue stripes or lines of dots on the back and lighter on the front. Its body pattern changes to a broad-banded pattern at night for camouflage.
It is widespread in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific as far north as Japan and east to the west coasts of the Americas, including Panama and Mexico's Sea of Cortez and the Red Sea. In 2000, its presence was reported in the Mediterranean Sea off Israel. In the past 20 years, this species experienced a population explosion in the Levantine Sea and a rapid spread westward, reaching the westernmost sectors of the Mediterranean and as far north as the Gulf of Lions by 2007. At this point, it has been recorded in all Mediterranean sub-basins and is now very common in the eastern part. F. commersonii is now considered an invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea because of its rapid development to reproductive stage and its detrimental effect on native fish populations.
The fish is of minor importance commercially, mostly being sold as fish meal, but also fresh and preserved. It is also sold as an aquarium fish.
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