African sailfin flyingfish (Parexocoetus mento)

Scientific name: Parexocoetus mento Valenciennes, 1847

African sailfin flyingfish (Parexocoetus mento)

The African sailfin flyingfish (Parexocoetus mento) is a marine fish of the family Exocoetidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-12; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 10 - 12. Dorsal fin mostly blackish; pectorals and caudal greyish, other fins transparent.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Parexocoetus mento
Family
Exocoetidae (Flyingfishes)
Order
Beloniformes (Needle fishes)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
11.0
Depth range
0–20 m (0–66 ft)
Environment
Marine; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous; depth range 0 - 20 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: widespread from East Africa, including the Red Sea and the Gulf, to southern Japan, Marshall Islands, Fiji, the Arafura Sea and Queensland, Australia. Migrated to eastern Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. Presence in Somalia to be confirmed. Records from the Atlantic (as Parexocoetus mento atlanticus) are in error.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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