Tropical two-wing flyingfish (Exocoetus volitans)

Scientific name: Exocoetus volitans Linnaeus, 1758

Tropical two-wing flyingfish (Exocoetus volitans)

The Tropical two-wing flyingfish (Exocoetus volitans) is a marine fish of the family Exocoetidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-15; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 12 - 14; Vertebrae: 43 - 46. Body dark, iridescent blue above, silvery white below; pectorals and caudal fin greyish, other fins not pigmented. Juveniles with or without black bars. Branchiostegal rays: 9-11.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Exocoetus volitans
Family
Exocoetidae (Flyingfishes)
Order
Beloniformes (Needle fishes)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
30.0
Common length
20.0
Depth range
0–20 m (0–66 ft)
Environment
Marine; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous; depth range 0 - 20 m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Widespread in tropical and subtropical zones of all oceans including the western Mediterranean Sea and part of the Caribbean Sea, probably absent in the inland seas of southeastern Asia (Sulawesi Sea, Sulu Sea, Flores, Banda, Ceram and Halmahera seas), and the Benguela Current. Eastern Pacific: Mexico to central Chile; also the Galapagos and Hawaii. Western Pacific: Japan, Marshall Islands, Philippines, Australia, and Tahiti.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: 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.

Last updated