Cheilopogon cyanopterus
Margined Flyingfish
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Beloniformes
Exocoetidae (Flyingfishes)
Cheilopogon
Cheilopogon cyanopterus (Margined Flyingfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Robust body; moderately blunt snout; low dorsal fin under fifth to seventh dorsal fin rays; 11 to 14 dorsal fin rays; 8 to 11 anal fin rays; anal fin origin under fifth to seventh dorsal fin rays; 6 to 9 scales above lateral line; 30 to 41 predorsal scales; 43 to 45 vertebrae; jaw teeth slightly curved and generally unicuspid; palatine teeth present but variable in size and number; 16 to 28 gill rakers on first arch; snout length 3% to 6.7% SL; head length 22% to 27.4% SL; eye diameter 4.9% to 8.5% SL; interorbital distance 6% to 10.1% SL; body depth 13.1% to 19.3% SL; snout to dorsal fin origin 63.1% to 74.5% SL; snout to anal fin origin 72% to 80.7% SL; snout to pelvic fin origin 56% to 61% SL; pectoral fin length 45.9% to 78.5% SL; caudal peduncle depth 6% to 8.4% SL; pectoral fin extends beyond midlength of dorsal fin base; 12 to 16 pectoral fin rays
Dark dorsally and silvery ventrally; pectoral fin bluish black; dorsal fin black posteriorly; pelvic and anal fins transparent; juveniles have uniformly colored pectoral fin
Distribution
New Jersey to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
Habitat Associations
Tropical Atlantic Ocean, usually within 640 km of the coast, absent in inshore waters
Biology
Maximum known size is 333 mm SL
Inhabits both neritic and oceanic surface waters (Ref. 30573). Capable of leaping out of the water and gliding for long distances above the surface (Ref. 30573). Feeds mostly on crustaceans and other planktonic organisms; often attracted to lights at night (Ref. 2797).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders; parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2013-01-29. Resilience: High (K=0.8).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial.
References
Bruun 1935
Staiger 1965
Bright and Cashman 1974
Hoese and Moore 1977
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
Cervigon 1991
Boschung 1992
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Heemstra, P.C. and N.V. Parin (1986) Exocoetidae. p. 391-396. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Parin, N.V. and R.H. Gibbs Jr. (1990) Exocoetidae. p. 583-591. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2.
Cervigón, F., R. Cipriani, W. Fischer, L. Garibaldi, M. Hendrickx, A.J. Lemus, R. Márquez, J.M. Poutiers, G. Robaina and B. Rodriguez (1992) Fichas FAO de identificación de especies para los fines de la pesca. Guía de campo de las especies comerciales marinas y de aquas salobres de la costa septentrional de Sur América. FAO, Rome. 513 p. Preparado con el financiamento de la Comisión de Comunidades Europeas y de NORAD.
Parin, N.V. (1996) On the species composition of flying fishes (Exocoetidae) in the West-Central part of tropical Pacific. J. Ichthyol. 36(5):357-364.
Sommer, C., W. Schneider and J.-M. Poutiers (1996) FAO species identification field guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of Somalia. FAO, Rome. 376 p.
Comments On Cheilopogon cyanopterus