Aulostomus maculatus, the West Atlantic trumpetfish, is a long-bodied fish with an upturned mouth. It often swims vertically while trying to blend with vertical coral, such as sea rods, sea pens, and pipe sponges. Description Aulostomus maculatus is closely related to cornetfish. This species can be a bit more than long and have greatly elongated and compressed bodies, with a compressed head which has with small jaws at the front end of their long, tubular snouts. There is a distinct barbel on the chin positioned at the tip of at the lower jaw. The dorsal and anal fins are positioned posteriorally. The dorsal fin has 8-12 well-spaced and isolated spines in front of it and has 12 spines and 12-25 soft rays. The anal fin has 21-25 soft rays while the caudal fin is rounded. The most commonly encountered color of A. maculatus is mottled brown to reddish brown with irregular black or brown spots. They may also be blue-gray, bright yellow or green and this species has the ability to change its color to camouflage itself. The head and flanks have transverse silvery streaks and the base of the dorsal and anal fins have a black bar which is sometimes reduced to a spot. There may be one or two spots on the tail. A. maculatus grow to a maximum reported length of in total length, although is more common. Distribution Aulostomus maculatus is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Brazil including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Although the most southerly records may actually be of the related species, Aulostomus strigosus. Habitat and biology Trumpetfish is a largely piscivorous ambush predator which is known to hide among shoals of large herbivorous fish, shadowing the fish until it is close enough to a prey item to strike. It will also hang vertically among gorgonians or drift with the current, capturing any prey that swims underneath it by sucking them into the mouth which has elastic tissues to allow it to open as wide as the diameter of its body. The sudden opening of the mouth creates a vacuum which pulls prey into the mouth. Recorded prey include ocean surgeon (Acanthurus bahianus), blue chromis (Chromis cyanea), tomtate grunt (Haemulon aurolineatum), French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum), longspine squirrelfish (Holocentrus rufus), downy blenny (Labrisomus kalisherae), dusky blenny (Malacoctenus gilli), redlip blenny (Ophioblennius atlanticus), rusty