Prognichthys gibbifrons
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Beloniformes
Exocoetidae (Flyingfishes)
Prognichthys
Prognichthys gibbifrons
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
Relatively slender; first 2 dorsal fin rays unbranched; dorsal fin low; pectoral and pelvic fins long; anal fin origin below midbase of dorsal fin base; anal fin has 9 or 10 rays; snout slightly blunt and slightly shorter than eye diameter; mouth oblique and fails to reach anterior margin of eye; jaw teeth relatively large, conical, and unicuspid; palatine teeth present in juveniles but absent in adults; gill rakers on first arch number 21 to 27; snout length 4.7% to 5%, head length 22.7% to 26.1%, eye diameter 7.1% to 9.4%, interorbital width 8.2% to 11.8%, body depth 16.2% to 19.5%, snout to dorsal fin origin 69.6% to 71.9%, snout to pelvic fin origin 55.8% to 59.8%, snout to anal fin origin 75.4% to 79.6%, pectoral fin length 62.2% to 69.9%, and pelvic fin length 29.3% to 39.9% of SL; pectoral fin extends beyond anal fin base and has 17 to 19 rays; scales above lateral line number 6 or 7; predorsal scales number 20 to 24; vertebrae number 42 or 43
Dark dorsally and silvery ventrally; pectoral fin dusky to about midlength and dark from midlength to tip; dorsal fin transparent; dorsal fin of juveniles dusky
Distribution
Western Atlantic from Massachusetts to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
Habitat Associations
Oceanic as adults; juveniles occur near shore
Biology
Maximum known size is 182 mm SL
Occurs in surface waters and capable of leaping out of the water and gliding for long distances above the surface (Ref. 3613).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders; parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2012-07-10. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters described
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial.
References
Bruun 1835
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.
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.
Smith-Vaniz, W.F., B.B. Collette and B.E. Luckhurst (1999) Fishes of Bermuda: history, zoogeography, annotated checklist, and identification keys. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 4. 424 p.
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