Teleostei (teleosts) >
Dactylopteriformes (Flying gurnards) >
Dactylopteridae (Flying gurnards)
Etymology: Dactyloptena: Greek, daktylos = fingers + Greek, pten, -enos = wing, fin.
More on author: Cuvier.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 100 m (Ref. 48635). Tropical; 35°N - 37°S
Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Hawaiian, Marquesan and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan and the Ogasawara Islands, south to Australia and New Zealand.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 40.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3392); common length : 20.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3392)
Inhabit coastal waters with sandy substrates (Ref. 1602, 48635); a shallow-living species, benthic in adults; only species found in oceanic islands (Ref. 27821). Solitary, well-camouflaged and slow-moving (Ref. 37816, 48635). Feed on crustaceans, clams, and small fish. May be caught using ring nets (Ref. 5213).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen and J.E. Hanley, 1989. Pisces. Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Zoological Catalogue of Australia, Vol. 7. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 665 p. (Ref. 7300)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 23.3 - 29, mean 27.8 °C (based on 1738 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5234 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00550 (0.00229 - 0.01319), b=3.09 (2.88 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.7 ±0.55 se; based on food items.
Generation time: 0.7 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 1
growth studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (18 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 86.6 [38.6, 195.6] mg/100g; Iron = 0.876 [0.407, 2.444] mg/100g; Protein = 18 [16, 20] %; Omega3 = 0.142 [0.060, 0.444] g/100g; Selenium = 70.6 [30.3, 174.1] μg/100g; VitaminA = 29.6 [9.4, 93.3] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.27 [0.80, 1.93] mg/100g (wet weight);