Cheilopogon furcatus
Spotfin Flyingfish
Collection Details
Specimens
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Beloniformes
Exocoetidae (Flyingfishes)
Cheilopogon
Cheilopogon furcatus (Spotfin 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, acute snout, bicolored pectoral fins, dusky caudal fin. Snout slightly blunt and shorter than eye diameter. Mouth oblique, not extending to anterior margin of eye. Jaw teeth small and unicuspid, palatine teeth absent. Gill rakers on first arch 16-24. Measurements (% SL): snout length 2.3-8.5%, head length 20.5-26.4%, eye diameter 7.3-12.2%, interorbital width 6.9-9.1%, body depth 15.5-20.7%, snout to dorsal fin origin 64.5-74.3%, snout to anal fin origin 72.3-78.5%, snout to pelvic fin origin 51.9-58.7%, pectoral fin length 31.9-74.8%, pelvic fin origin 32.8-58.2%, caudal peduncle depth 5.2-8.1%. Pectoral fin extends beyond midlength of dorsal fin base, with 14-17 rays. First pectoral fin ray >38% SL. Dorsal fin low (9.5-19.5% SL), with 11-14 rays. Anal fin originates below anterior one-half of dorsal fin base, with 8-12 rays. Scales above lateral line 6-9, predorsal scales 22-35. Vertebrae 44-46.
Dark dorsally, silvery ventrally. Dorsal fin transparent, pectoral fin black with curved transparent central area. Pelvic fin dark edged, caudal fin darkly pigmented. Juveniles with mandibular barbels, low dorsal fin with uneven pigmentation, six vertical bars on body.
Distribution
Tropical western and central Atlantic, from Massachusetts and Bermuda to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
Habitat Associations
Oceanic waters, enters bays and estuaries
Biology
Maximum known size 293 mm SL
Occurs in surface waters of the open ocean (Ref. 30573). Capable of leaping out of the water and gliding for considerable distances above the surface (Ref. 30573). Feeds on zooplankton and small fish (Ref. 9839).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders; parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2013-01-29. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: bycatch.
References
Beebe and Tee-Van 1933
Bruun 1935
Staiger 1965
Hoese and Moore 1977
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
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.
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.
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