Hirundichthys speculiger
Mirrorwing Flyingfish
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Beloniformes
Exocoetidae (Flyingfishes)
Hirundichthys
Hirundichthys speculiger (Mirrorwing Flyingfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (Carpenter, K.E. (ed.) 2002. The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO, Rome.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting.
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Synonymy
None / None.
Characters
Body elongate,
nearly rectangular in cross-section, almost flat
ventr ally. Depth 5.8 to 6.7 in st andard length.
Head length 3.9 to 4.2 in st andard length. Eye
2.9 to 3.3 in head length. Jaws subequal. Jaw
teeth conspicious, conical. Palatine teeth
present. Gill rakers on first arch 21 to 29. Dor-
sal fin low, with 10 to 13 soft rays. Anal fin with
11 to 13 soft rays, originating slightly be-
fore, or 1 to 2 rays behind dorsal-fin origin.
Pectoral fins 1.4 to 1.5 in st andard length, juvenile
with 17 to 20 soft rays, first ray unbranched.
Pelvic fins 3.5 to 3.8 in st andard length, inserted slighty ne arer to posterior margin of opercle than ori-
gin of caudal-fin base. Juveniles not barbelled. Scales in transverse row 5 to 7. Predorsal scales 28 to 33.
Vertebrae 45 to 47. Colour: body dark above, pale below. Dorsal and caudal fins greyish; anal fin transp arent;
pectoral fins dark grey with unpigmented triangular crossb and and broad outer margin; pelvic fins light. Juve-
niles with pectoral and pelvic fins mottled with dark spots and b ands.
Body shape: elongated. Body dark, iridescent blue above, silvery white below; dorsal and caudal fins greyish, other fins hyaline (Ref. 2797). Juveniles elongate, paired fins mottled (Ref. 2797).
Distribution
In the western Atlantic between
40(cid:1) N and 39(cid:1) S, absent in the Gulf of Mexico and
the western Caribbean Sea. Known also from the
tropical eastern Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific
Oceans.
Habitat Associations
Oceanic species. Feeds on zooplankton. Eggs demersal, laid on floating ob-
jects.
Biology
Maximum to 25 cm st andard length (about 31 cm total length).
Found in oceanic surface waters (Ref. 9839). Caught in surface waters over the depths 80-10,400 meters, usually 2000 to 6000 m (mean 4423 m) (Ref. 93339). Spawns throughout the year in warm waters (Ref. 6523).
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
Of no importance to fisheries.
References
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. (1986) Exocoetidae. p. 612-619. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2.
Shakhovskoy, I.B. and N.V. Parin (2013) A review of flying fishes of the subgenus Hirundichthys (genus Hirundichthys, Exocoetidae). 1. Oceanic species: H. speculiger, H. indicus sp. nova. J. Ichthyol. 53(2):117-145. DOI: 10.1134/S003294521301013X
Comments On Hirundichthys speculiger