Species: Cheilopogon exsiliens, Bandwing flyingfish
sides roof mouth with teeth
Cheilopogon exsiliens (Linnaeus, 1771)
Bandwing flyingfish
Body elongate, rectangular in cross section; mouth small, short, blunt; jaws equal; jaw teeth relatively large (noticeable to touch), conical; sides of roof of mouth with teeth; fins without spines; dorsal fin moderately high (>10% SL), 13-15 rays; 9-11 anal rays, origin of fin under 6th-9th dorsal ray; pectoral reaches past anal base, 1st ray unbranched; pelvic origin nearer operculum than base of tail fin, reaches just past anal base; tail deeply forked with a longer lower lobe; scales large, smooth, easily shed; 24-29 scales on nape in front of dorsal fin; lateral line low on the body, no branch of lateral line to origin of pectoral. Juveniles with enlarged dorsal fin, a pair of flap-like barbels under chin, <40% SL.
Dark above, pale below; dorsal fin grey with large black central spot; anal fin transparent; pectorals blue-black, with pale diagonal bar across fin; anal clear; tail fin with black lower lobe and clear upper lobe; pelvics greyish. Juvenile: body with faint bars; dorsal and paired fins partly pigmented; tail clear; barbells grey, with darker edges.
Size: 30 cm.
Habitat: surface pelagic, offshore.
Depth: 0-5 m.
Tropical and temperate Atlantic; from 40°N to ~25°S in the W Atlantic.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Offshore
- Offshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Water column only
- Surface
- Near Surface
- Habitat
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- Water column
- FishBase Habitat
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- Pelagic
- Feeding Group
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- Planktivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Zooplankton
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Benthic
- Global Endemism
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- Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
- All species.
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Extends N + S of GC
- Also in Brazil
- Continent + Island (s)
- Extends North of GC
- Island (s)
- Extends South of GC
- Continent
- GC non-endemic
- All species..
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Temperate (>35N)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 30
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 5
