Pencil-thin reef ghosts. Up to 1.5 metres of body, almost invisible side-on.
Cornetfish are extreme body elongation, up to 1.5 metres long but only a few centimetres in diameter, with a thin filament extending from the tail. They hover vertically in mid-water, perfectly camouflaged against sea fans or coral fronds, and ambush small fish that pass within range.
They can shift colour rapidly between greenish-brown (reef-edge camouflage), silver-blue (open water), and zebra stripes (alarm display). Close relatives to trumpetfish but more slender and pelagic-tending.
Common at Maldives, Andaman, Bali and Red Sea reef edges. Easy to miss until you train your eye for the long thin silhouette in mid-water.
Tap a month to highlight it across destinations, or hover any cell for details.
This species hasn't been logged at any of our partner sites yet, destination + season data will appear here once we've confirmed a reliable spot.
We're still curating destinations where this species can be reliably encountered. Check back soon, or chat with us for a custom itinerary.
Real, curated expeditions, or a custom trip built around the best season and destination to encounter cornetfish.
Browse our curated, small-group dive trips, fixed dates, vetted partner operators, zero agency fee. Or tell us your dates and we'll build a custom trip around the best season and destinations to encounter cornetfish.
Tell us when you can travel and your certification level, we'll match the right destination, the right season, and the right trip for diving with cornetfish.
Chat With a Dive ProWe use essential cookies to run iDive. With your consent we also use analytics and our assistant Laila to improve the site. You can change this anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
