Atlantic Trumpet Fish

Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC

The Atlantic trumpet fish is endemic to the Macaronesian island groups and replaces its Indo-Pacific relative in Madeira's waters, hovering motionless among sea fans and gorgonians in a vertical posture that makes it nearly invisible until it lunges to engulf small fish with its tubular snout. It frequently shadow-hunts by drifting alongside larger parrotfish or groupers, using their bulk as cover to approach prey that would otherwise detect its silhouette against open water. At Garajau it is one of the clearest indicators of reef health, as its presence in good numbers reflects both a healthy prey base of small wrasse and anthias and an intact structure of gorgonian corals that provide its preferred hunting perches.