Starry flying gurnard

Dactyloptena peterseni

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth64–214 m
Water temperature16–29 °C
Best monthsJune, October, and November
How commonRare

All species

About this species

Dactyloptena is a genus of flying gurnards native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Dactyloptena”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 9 records
February: 2 records
March: 2 records
April: 11 records
May: 7 records
June: 22 records
July: 10 records
August: 15 records
September: 16 records
October: 18 records
November: 17 records
December: 8 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 64–214 m · Deepest record: 510 m

10–20 m: 1 records
20–30 m: 2 records
30–40 m: 1 records
40–50 m: 4 records
50–60 m: 2 records
60–70 m: 3 records
70–80 m: 5 records
80–90 m: 6 records
90–100 m: 6 records
100–110 m: 5 records
110–120 m: 5 records
120+ m: 71 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 16–29 °C

16–18 °C: 1 records
18–20 °C: 7 records
20–22 °C: 3 records
22–24 °C: 10 records
24–26 °C: 20 records
26–28 °C: 91 records
28–30 °C: 16 records

Names and classification

English: Starry flying gurnard, One-spined Flying-gurnard, Onespine Flying Gurnard, starry flying gurnard, Starry Helmet Gurnard

Names in 3 more languages

Japanese: ホシセミホウボウ
Korean: 별쭉지성대
Simplified Chinese: 單棘豹魴鮄, 海胡蠅, 番雞公, 皮氏豹魴鮄, 皮氏飛角魚, 紅飛魚, 雞角, 飛角, 飛角魚

Other scientific names: Dactyloptena petersoni, Dactylopterus peterseni, Daicocus peterseni, Diacocus peterseni

Similar species

Oriental flying gurnard
Dactyloptena orientalis
Dactyloptena macracantha
Butterfly Engloute
Dactyloptena papilio
Flathead Helmet Gurnard
Dactyloptena gilberti
Plain Helmet Gurnard
Dactyloptena tiltoni
Flying gurnard
Dactylopterus volitans

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
253 open-data records from 1887 to 2014.
Species data updated November 2, 2026.

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