Flying gurnard

flying gurnards
(image here)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Scorpaeniformes Family: Dactylopteridae
Genera Dactyloptena Dactylopterus

The flying gurnards are a family (Dactylopteridae) of marine fish notable for their greatly enlarged pectoral fins[?], which they use to "walk" along sandy sea floors while looking for crustaceans and other small invertebrates.

The family is small, with seven species in two genera.

Genus Dactyloptena:

• Dactyloptena gilberti
• Spotwing flying gurnard[?] (Dactyloptena macracantha)
• Oriental flying gurnard[?] (Dactyloptena orientalis)
• Butterfly flying gurnard[?] (Dactyloptena papilio)
• Starry flying gurnard[?] (Dactyloptena peterseni)
• Dactyloptena tiltoni

Genus Dactylopterus:

• Flying gurnard[?] (Dactylopterus volitans)

Reference

• FishBase entry for Dactylopteridae (http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/FamilySummary.cfm?ID=285)