Trumpetfish have long, thin bodies, and a remarkable variety of color variations. Silvery, with reddish brown tones, is one of the more frequently encountered colors. We often encounter them with blue heads, and also with yellow heads. Sometimes, we see trumpetfish that appear virtually all yellow. As predators, trumpetfish change their color and posture to blend in with the background. They hide vertically in soft corals and rope sponges, and horizontally behind larger fish. They are quite amazing to watch. But it's hard to understand how drifting head down, in a vertical position in midwater, camouflages them to any potential prey. It must work, or they wouldn't do it.
Most of the trumpetfish we see are 1.5 to 2.5 feet long. The above photos display some of their color variations.
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