Dactylopterus volitans

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Flying gurnard

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Dactylopteridae
Genus: Dactylopterus
Species: D. volitans
Binomial name
Dactylopterus volitans
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms

Callionymus pelagicus Rafinesque, 1818
Cephalacanthus spinarella (Linnaeus, 1758)
Cephalacanthus volitans (Linnaeus, 1758)
Dactilopterus volitans (Linnaeus, 1758)
Dactylopterus blochii Swainson, 1839
Dactylopterus communis Owen, 1853
Dactylopterus fasciatus Swainson, 1839
Dactylopterus occidentalis Swainson, 1839
Dactylopterus spinarella (Linnaeus, 1758)
Dactylopterus tentaculatus Swainson, 1839
Dactylopterus vulgaris Steindachner, 1867
Gasterosteus spinarella Linnaeus, 1758
Gonocephalus macrocephalus Gronow, 1854
Polynemus sexradiatus Mitchill, 1818
Trigla fasciata Bloch & Schneider, 1801
Trigla volitans Linnaeus, 1758

The flying gurnard, Dactylopterus volitans, is a fish of tropical to warm temperate waters on both sides of the Atlantic, found as far north as North Carolina and south as Brazil, and from the English Channel to Angola.

The pectoral fins are very large and fan-like, with front six rays separated as small lobes. They are found on sand, mud or over rocks in sandy areas, exploring the bottom with the free part of the pectoral fins. They feed primarily on benthic crustaceans, especially crabs, clams and small fishes. There is no venom gland present.

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