Flying gurnard

{{Short description|Species of fish}} {{About|the species|the family|Dactylopteridae}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Speciesbox | name = Flying gurnard | image = Flughahn.jpg | image_caption = A flying gurnard near [[Crete]], [[Greece]] | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{cite journal | author1 = Carpenter, K.E. | author2 = Munroe, T. | author3 = Robertson, R. | name-list-style = amp | year = 2015 | title = ''Dactylopterus volitans'' | journal = [[The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species]] | volume = 2015 | page = e.T185182A1777936 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T185182A1777936.en | doi-access = free }}</ref> | genus = Dactylopterus | parent_authority = [[Bernard Germain de Lacépède|Lacépède]], 1801 | species = volitans | authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]) | synonyms = *''Callionymus pelagicus'' [[Rafinesque]], 1818 *''Cephalacanthus spinarella'' ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]) *''Cephalacanthus volitans'' ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]) *''Dactilopterus volitans'' ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]) *''Dactylopterus blochii'' [[William Swainson|Swainson]], 1839 *''Dactylopterus communis'' Owen, 1853 *''Dactylopterus fasciatus'' [[William Swainson|Swainson]], 1839 *''Dactylopterus occidentalis'' [[William Swainson|Swainson]], 1839 *''Dactylopterus spinarella'' ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]) *''Dactylopterus tentaculatus'' [[William Swainson|Swainson]], 1839 *''Dactylopterus vulgaris'' Steindachner, 1867 *''Gasterosteus spinarella'' [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]] *''Gonocephalus macrocephalus'' Gronow, 1854 *''Polynemus sexradiatus'' Mitchill, 1818 *''Trigla fasciata'' Bloch & Schneider, 1801 *''Trigla volitans'' [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]] }}

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 [[Benthic zone|bottom-dwelling]] fish that inhabits [[tropical]] to warm temperate waters on both sides of the Atlantic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/animal/flying-gurnard|title=flying gurnard {{!}} marine fish|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=2016-06-15}}</ref><ref name="fishbase">{{FishBase | genus = Dactylopterus | species = volitans | month = Dec | year = 2007}}</ref>

It is the only species in the genus ''Dactylopterus'' making it [[Monotypic taxon|monotypic]]. Similar and related species from the genus ''[[Dactyloptena]]'' are found in the [[Indian Ocean|Indian]] and [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific Oceans]].

== Taxonomy == The flying gurnard is a [[Syngnathiformes|Syngnathiform]], an order of fish that includes [[Seahorse|seahorses]], [[Pegasidae|seamoths]], [[Pipefish|pipefishes]] and other groups. It is a member of the family [[Dactylopteridae]] along with ''[[Dactyloptena]]''. The genus it is in contains only species which makes it a [[Monotypic taxon|monospecific]] taxa.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Song |first=Ha Yeun |last2=Choi |first2=Young Ji |last3=Jo |first3=Seonmi |last4=Kim |first4=Bora |last5=Jung |first5=Seung-Hyun |last6=Yoo |first6=Jong Su |last7=Lee |first7=Dae-Sung |date=2019-12-23 |title=Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of Dactylopterus volitans (Syngnathiformes, Dactylopteridae) |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7748829/ |journal=Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=351–352 |doi=10.1080/23802359.2019.1704651 |issn=2380-2359 |pmc=7748829 |pmid=33366552}}</ref>

It used to be classed within the order [[Scorpaeniformes]] but was moved to its current classification based on molecular evidence.<ref name=":1" />

== 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]].<ref name="fishbase" />

== Description == It reaches up to {{convert|50|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length and {{convert|1.8|kg|lb|abbr=on}} in weight.<ref name="fishbase" />

This fish is variable in coloration, being brownish or greenish with reddish or yellowish patches. The fish also has large eyes.<ref>Bigelow, H. B. and W. C. Schroeder. [http://www.gma.org/fogm/Dactylopterus_volitans.htm Flying Gurnard, ''Dactylopterus volitans'' (Linnaeus) 1758.] Fishes of the Gulf of Maine. Fishery Bulletin 74. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. 1953.</ref>

=== Pectoral fins === Each [[pectoral fin]] can be separated into two distinct sections. The anterior side (the digging side) mainly consist of segmented and flexible fin rays but has an anterior robust unsegmented ray providing an edge. This edge allows them to dig into the substrate in search for prey. The posterior side is also supported by unsegmented rays.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Davenport |first=John |last2=Wirtz |first2=Peter |date=2019-11-10 |title=Digging with ‘hands’: observations of food capture in the flying gurnard Dactylopterus volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00222933.2019.1705415 |journal=Journal of Natural History |language=en |volume=53 |issue=41-42 |pages=2489–2501 |doi=10.1080/00222933.2019.1705415 |issn=0022-2933}}</ref>

When excited, the fish spreads its pectoral fins to make "wings". They are semitransparent, with a [[Phosphorescence|phosphorescent]], bright-blue coloration at their tips.

== Behavior == The fish's main diet consists of small fish, [[Bivalvia|bivalves]], and [[Crustacean|crustaceans]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.whatsthatfish.com/fish/flying-gurnard/1693|title=The Flying Gurnard – Whats That Fish!|website=whatsthatfish.com|access-date=2016-06-15}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":0" />

=== Acoustics === The acoustic repertoire of ''Dactylopterus volitans'' consist of two distinct sounds, grunt A and grunt B, that are produced in an alternating pattern. Grunt A is a 225 Hertz harmonic sound that is composed of two to nine pulses that lasted around 30 milliseconds. These are either produced in isolation or in bursts with distinct short and long intervals. Grunt B is a about 170 Hertz composed of two to four pulses that lasts around 110 milliseconds.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Horvatić |first=S. |last2=Vieira |first2=M. |last3=Amorim |first3=M. C. P. |last4=Malavasi |first4=S. |last5=Fonseca |first5=P. J. |last6=Stagličić |first6=N. |last7=Pavičić |first7=M. |last8=Zanella |first8=D. |last9=Erjavec |first9=I. |last10=Dragičević |first10=B. |date=2026-01-21 |title=Acoustic repertoire and anatomical features of the flying gurnard from the Adriatic Sea |url=https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jzo.70101 |journal=Journal of Zoology |language=en |doi=10.1111/jzo.70101 |issn=0952-8369|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== Gallery == <gallery mode="packed" heights="80"> File:Dactylopterus volitans (Linnaeus, 1758).jpg|In the [[Caribbean]] File:DactylopterusVolitans.JPG File:Flying gurnard.JPG|[[Jamaica]] File:FlyingGurnard.jpg|In [[Malta]] File:Flying Gurnard (Rundunell).jpg|In Malta File:Flying Gurnard (4578998771).jpg|At [[Saint Vincent (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)|St. Vincent]] </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Commons category-inline|Dactylopterus volitans|''Dactylopterus volitans''}} *{{Wikispecies-inline|Dactylopterus volitans|''Dactylopterus volitans''}} * {{SealifePhotos|127232}}

[[Category:Dactylopteridae|flying gurnard]] [[Category:Fish of the Atlantic Ocean]] [[Category:Fish described in 1758|flying gurnard]] [[Category:Fish of Cuba]] [[Category:Fish of the Dominican Republic]] [[Category:Animal taxa named by Carl Linnaeus|flying gurnard]] [[Category:Fish of Aruba]]