Hirundichthys affinis
Fourwing Flyingfish
Collection Details
Specimens
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Beloniformes
Exocoetidae (Flyingfishes)
Hirundichthys
Hirundichthys affinis (Fourwing 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.)
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Characters
Relatively slender body; long pelvic fins; dorsal and anal fins similar in position and size; snout acute and shorter than eye diameter; mouth oblique, nearly reaching anterior margin of eye; lower jaw extends slightly beyond upper jaw; jaw teeth relatively large, conical, and unicuspid; palatine teeth absent; gill rakers on first arch number 26 to 30; snout length 5.8% to 6.6%, head length 23.3% to 24.6%, eye diameter 6.7% to 7.5%, interdorsal width 7.5% to 8.7%, body depth 14.7% to 18.2%, snout to dorsal fin origin 71.2% to 74.7%, snout to pelvic fin origin 57.2% to 61.5%, snout to anal fin origin 71.3% to 75.6%, pectoral fin length 61.5% to 68.6%, and pelvic fin length 25.7% to 28.3% of SL; pectoral fin extends beyond dorsal fin base with 17 or 18 rays; dorsal fin low (longest ray 7.6% to 9.1% of SL) with 11 or 12 rays; anal fin originates slightly anterior to slightly posterior to dorsal fin origin with 11 to 13 rays; scales above lateral line number 5 to 7; predorsal scales number 28 to 33
Dark dorsally and silvery ventrally; dorsal fin transparent; pectoral fin dusky with transparent area near middle of fin
Distribution
Virginia to northern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Tropical Atlantic; pelagic
Biology
224 mm SL
Occurs in surface waters both near and far from the coast (Ref. 5217). Forms schools. Capable of leaping out and gliding for long distances above the water. Seasonal variation in abundance was noted in the eastern Caribbean countries, a phenomenon that may be due to post-spawning mortality (Ref. 6838). The most important commercial fish species of the eastern Caribbean (Ref. 6504). Considered a good food fish; marketed fresh.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Spawns on the water surface and to a depth of 20 m (Ref. 6834). Post-spawning mortality may explain the disappearance of mature cohorts at the close of the spawning season in June (Ref. 6838).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2013-01-29. Resilience: High (tm<1; tmax=1).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial.
References
Bruun 1935
Uyeno et al. 1983
Parin 1986
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.
Gibbs, R.H. Jr. (1978) Exocoetidae. In W. Fischer (ed.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Central Atlantic (Fishing Area 31). Vol. 2. pag.var.
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.
Oxenford, H.A., R. Mahon and W. Hunte (eds.) (1993) The eastern Caribbean flyingfish project. OECS Fish. Rep. No. 9. 171 p.
Gillett, R. and J. Ianelli (1991) Aspects of the biology and fisheries of flyingfish in the Pacific Islands. Field Document 91/7. FAO/UNDP Regional Fisheries Support Programme, Suva, Fiji.
Uyeno, T., K. Matsuura and E. Fujii (eds.) (1983) Fishes trawled off Suriname and French Guiana. Japan Marine Fishery Resource Research Center, Tokyo, Japan. 519 p.
Carpenter, K.E. and N. De Angelis (eds.) (2016) The living marine resources of the Eastern Central Atlantic. Vol. 3: Bony fishes part 1 (Elopiformes to Scorpaeniformes). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes, Rome, FAO. pp. 1511-2350.
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