Rough Flutemouth, Fistularia petimba Lacépède 1803

Known in Australia from the South Australian gulfs, west and around the tropical north and east coast to Port Phillip, Victoria - including offshore reefs and islands. Elsewhere, the species is widespread in the tropical Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific oceans, rarely found in temperate waters. Occurs in inshore coastal and estuarine habitats, usually over hard-bottomed areas, often with extensive soft corals, at 1-200m, although mostly at 10-30 m or deeper. Usually solitary or in small groups; juveniles common in muddy estuarine environments, moving to coastal bays as young adults.

Meristic features: Dorsal fin 13-16; Anal fin 14-15; Pectoral fin 15-17; Pelvic fin 6.

Body extremely long, slender, head and snout with serrated ridges, posttemporal and lateral snout serrations directed forward; upper pair of snout ridges parallel; large eye with round pupil;

Tail forked, middle fin rays modified into long filament; pelvic fin small, well back from head.

Elongate bony plates embedded on dorsal midline near dorsal fin and on ventral midline in front of anal fin; posterior lateral-line ossifications with posteriorly directed spines.

Although reported to reach 2 m, the Rough Flutemouth may only grow to about 1 m.

Colour varies with depth: usually overall red to orange-brown above at deeper depths, greenish- brown in shallow water; silvery below; dorsal, anal and caudal fins with orange tint; distinct banding at night; juveniles mottled with diffused spots dorsally.

These carnivorous predators feed by sucking prey items in through the long tubular snout. Rough Flutemouths feed near the bottom, preying mostly on small fishes, but also on crustaceans and squid.

Oviparous, sexes separate; eggs large, pelagic, 1.5-2.1 mm in diameter; larvae hatch with yolk sac at 6-7 mm. 

Of minor commercial importance and of minor interest for the aquarium industry.

The Rough Flutemouth is a stealth predator, using its slender appearance to stalk shoals of fishes, approaching slowly until close enough to dart forward and seize unsuspecting prey.

The Smooth Flutemouth (Fistularia commersonii) and the Rough Flutemouth, F. petimba are often confused as both are known from Australian waters. The Rough Flutemouth has a row of bony plates along the dorsal midline and parallel ridges along the top of the snout. The Smooth Flutemouth has no bony plates along the dorsal midline, and the ridges along the top of the snout bulge outwards rather than being parallel.

Fistularia is from the Latin, fistula meaning pipe or pipeline.

Fistularia petimba Lacepède 1803, Hist. Nat. Poiss. 5: 349-350, New Britain, Réunion and equatorial Pacific.

Dianne J. Bray & Vanessa J. Thompson