Flute fish: photo. Is there a flute fish?

The unusual names of animals always cause a lot of rumors. At once it becomes curious whether there is a fish-flute, a butterfly fish, a lion fish or a clownfish. We assure you, all these fish exist, having fun sporting in the waters of the oceans and seas. The world of fish has many faces. Among them, there are many different representatives with unusual names, bright colors and unique shapes.

Flute fish is considered to be representative of the species belonging to the genus of flutory. Unusual fish has its own characteristics. Its very narrow body is strongly elongated. The muzzle at these fishes too is extended in length. They to some extent resemble a fish-needle.

Distribution area

Fish flute, a photo of which shows the peculiarities of the structure of the body, has chosen the warm Pacific waters. It lives in the west of the Pacific Ocean, near the northern part of Japan and in the southern region of Australia. It is comfortable in the Atlantic Ocean, in the basin of the Caribbean Sea.

It lives in the Indian Ocean. In addition, there is a fish-flute in the Red Sea. Fish prefer small depths, as a rule, they do not fall below a hundred meters. Mostly inhabited by coral reefs and scurry by the rocks.

Description of fish flute

The length of these fish varies from fifty to seventy centimeters. Although there are exceptions. Among the flutormal met one and a half meter giants. The body of individuals is covered with small ctenoid scales. At the base of the tiny tail is the anal and minor dorsal fins.

Individual spiny rays form the dorsal fin, located in the front. The size of the abdominal and pectoral fins is negligible. There is practically no use from them. Jaws of fish - this is one quarter of the entire length of their elongated body. In form they resemble a tube, flattened from the end, something similar, apparently, to a flute.

Instances of one species differ in different colors. Usually yellow or green there is a fish-flute. The photo perfectly conveys the color palette of fish. Some representatives of the genus flutorial are colored reddish and brown. There are monochrome specimens and decorated with simple patterns. Simple drawings on the fish bodies are formed by longitudinal and transverse strips and specks.

Pros and cons of a particular structure

The original structure of the body, coupled with coloring has its advantages and disadvantages. Due to its characteristic features, the flute fish can easily be masked against the background of aquatic vegetation. This allows her to arrange successful ambushes in all kinds of crevasses.

The long body of the fish is far from flexible. A tiny tail deprives her of the ability to move around for a long time. Therefore, a flute fish, devoid of maneuverability, is forced to lead a sedentary lifestyle. For swimming, she needs to perform intensive movements with pectoral fins. Representatives of the flutoral are unable to rush into the pursuit. However, there is a way out for these predators.

Methods of hunting used by a flute fish

In fact, the technique of hunting for a fish-flute is simple and quite common. She uses imperishable and reliable tactics - ambush hunting. Lurking in some cleft, the fish flute hangs in an upright position, becoming one with the surrounding underwater plants. As soon as the victim, who does not apprehend the danger, approaches the predator, the cunning fish pounces on it and in the twinkling of an eye sucks it into the mouth.

However, the sharp-flute fish-flute has in its stock an unusual method of hunting. She uses large fish for her insidious purposes, without asking for their consent. The trickster lies in wait for a large peace-loving fish (it may be a sea pike perch or parrotfish), emerges from the shelter, gets attached to the back, knows nothing of the "accomplice", clings tightly to his body with the pelvic fins. And sometimes it's just convenient to get along side by side.

At the very beginning it seems that the flutter eats the remnants of the extraction of its "bridled friend", but this is far from the case. When a large fish is fed, it is surrounded by flocks of small individuals, and they get a fish-flute for lunch, or maybe for dinner.

Having eaten, the fish again climbs on its "horse". True, some fish, having cracked the trick of the flitter, scoot away, not wanting to be used blindly. In addition to small fishes, the diet of flutes consists of shrimps and all kinds of crustaceans.