Trumpetfish
Family
Aulostomidae
These elongate fish have
three colour phases: brown to green, mottled brown to green and bright
yellow. The trumpetfish is a solitary predator relying on
stealth and the ability to quickly change its colour for
camouflage. They sometimes hide by swimming within schools of
fish, such as parrotfish, to 'shadow stalk' their prey, like a
detective following a criminal by blending into a crowd. They
are often seen hovering upside down waiting to drop vertically onto
prey before sucking it up into their tube-like mouth. Like
triggerfish, the trumpetfish uses its dorsal and anal fins for
propulsion. This type of swimming motion is called
balistiform swimming, named after the triggerfish (family
Balistidae).
Fusiliers
Family
Caesionidae
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Fusiliers school just off the reef |
Fusiliers are often seen
swimming in large schools off the reef front where they feed on
zooplankton. They possess several adaptations for a pelagic,
planktivorous mode of life, including an elongate fusiform body, small
scales, a small terminal mouth and a deeply forked tail.
These fish are designed for speed - not for catching prey, but to avoid
becoming prey. During the night, fusiliers sleep amongst the
coral where they develop a red colouration to their belly.
Fusiliers are one of the most important food species amongst the
islands in the Indo-Pacific region.
Batfish
Family
Ephippidae
Batfish are very distinctive
with their almost circular bodies. They can become extremely
tame and curious, often swarming around divers. Juveniles
have extremely deep bodies with greatly enlarged dorsal and anal fins
and are often found in shallow reefs and drifting amongst
sargassum. The juvenile pinnate batfish (Platax
pinnatus) mimics the colour patterns of a toxic flatworm
which is black with an orange border. Juvenile orbicular
batfish (Platax obicularis) mimic dead drifting
leaves and are often found around boat harbours and jetties.
Batfish feed on benthic (bottom-dwelling) invertebrates and
zooplankton.
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Adult batfish - a pelagic
reef associate |
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Juvenile batfish |
