How to Identify Trumpetfish

Video Transcript

The next fish that we are going to identify is the Trumpetfish. The Trumpetfish is a really odd looking fish, it's long and it's skinny, it looks like a stick. Trumpetfish can reach a length of up to three feet, but they probably never get over a few inches in circumference. They have a mouth that looks like a trap door, hinged from the bottom. This enables them to vacuum in prey by quickly opening their wide mouth which creates the suction for the vacuum. Trumpetfish prey on smaller fish, and animals using stealth. Their shape and brown color enables them to hang motionless vertically among the branches of gorgonians and sea rods, where they become virtually invisible. When prey swims close by, Trumpetfish arch their bodies into a slight "S" shape, which allows them to strike quickly. Although Trumpetfish are usually brown to reddish brown, they have black flecks over most of their body and pale vertical and horizontal lines. Trumpetfish can change color to better blend in with their surroundings. I have seen them with bright purple and bright yellow coloring, especially their heads. Trumpetfish are quite common throughout the tropical waters of the U.S., Bahamas, and Caribbean. That's the Trumpetfish.

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