Fishes - Australian Museum Fish Site

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Flying Gurnard
Dactyloptena orientalis (Cuvier, 1829)

Flying Gurnard
A Flying Gurnard at a depth of 10m, Fly Point, Port Stephens, New South Wales. View larger image.
Juvenile Flying Gurnard
A 12cm long juvenile Flying Gurnard at a depth of 4m, Watsons Bay, Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, September, 2001.

The Flying Gurnard is easily recognised by its huge pectoral fins. These fins are covered with dark spots and wavy lines. They have feeler-like leading rays and extensions from each fin ray.

The pectoral fins are usually held against the sides of the body. When the fish is disturbed, it quickly expands its pectoral fins, often retracting them before swimming off at speed. Despite its common name, the Flying Gurnard does not fly. It can however "walk" on the bottom by alternatively moving the pelvic fins and short pectoral fin rays.

This species grows to 38cm in length. It has a blunt head and a grey to brown body that is covered with dark brown to black spots.

The Flying Gurnard lives in a range of habitats including estuaries, coastal bays and deep sandy areas. It is often seen in water less than 10m in depth, but is also caught in trawls down to 100m.

It occurs from East Africa to Polynesia. In Australia it is recorded around the northern half of the country from the central coast of Western Australia to southern New South Wales.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

Further reading

  1. Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Crawford House Press. Pp. 437.
  2. Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
  3. Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen & J.E. Hanley. 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia Vol.7 Pisces Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Survey. Pp. i-xii, 1-665.
  4. Poss, S.G. & W.N. Eschmeyer. in Carpenter, K.E & V.H. Niem. 1999. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 4. Bony fishes part 2 (Mugilidae to Carangidae). FAO. Rome Pp. iii-v, 2069-2790.
  5. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
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