Flying gurnard

The flying gurnard (Dactylopterus volitans), also known as the helmet gurnard, is a species of Syngnathiformes fish belonging to the family Dactylopteridae. It is a bottom-dwelling fish that inhabits tropical to warm temperate waters on both sides of the Atlantic.

It is the only species in the genus Dactylopterus making it monotypic. Similar and related species from the genus Dactyloptena are found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Habitat

It is native to the Atlantic Ocean being found on both sides. On the American side, it is found as far north as Massachusetts (exceptionally as far as Canada) and as far south as Argentina, including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. On the European and African side, it ranges from the English Channel to Angola, including the Mediterranean Sea.

Behaviour

The fish's main diet consists of small fish, bivalves, and crustaceans. They will use their pectoral fins to dig into the sediment to access prey items living within the sediments. Then they capture it by using oral suction feeding. When digging, they will typically use only one of their pectoral fins for digging. Each cycle of digging consist of 1-7 cycles of movement which occurs at a frequency of 1.15–3.74 cycles per second. To dig, it will move its fins forwards and then medially above the substrate. It will then twisted it medially and simultaneously depressed so that the anterior ray impacts and enters the substrate. It is then drawn backwards and laterally to disturb the substrate.