Species: Cheilopogon furcatus, Spotfin flyingfish
sides roof mouth: no teeth
Cheilopogon furcatus (Mitchill, 1815)
Spotfin flyingfish
Body elongate, rectangular in cross section; mouth small, short, blunt, lower jaw slightly longer than top jaw; jaw teeth minute, not noticeable to touch, conical; sides of roof of mouth without teeth; fins without spines; dorsal fin low, 12-14 rays; 8-11 anal rays, origin of fin under 5th-7th 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; 26-33 scales in front of dorsal fin; lateral line low on the body, no branch of lateral line to origin of pectoral. Juveniles with a pair of barbels >37% SL long under chin consisting of a stalk with a skin fold along the outside.
Dark above, pale below; dorsal and tail fins grey; anal fin transparent; pectorals dark blue-grey to blue-black, with clear diagonal bar across almost entire fin and broad clear rear margin; pelvics greyish. Juvenile: body with 6 bars; dorsal and anal fins with black spots; pectorals with dark lower part and 2 dark oblique bars; pelvics with dark spots and bars.
Size: 33 cm.
Habitat: surface pelagic, offshore.
Depth: 0-5 m.
Worldwide in the tropics; from 44N to ~18S in the W Atlantic.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Offshore
- Offshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Surface
- Near Surface
- Water column only
- 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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- Pelagic fish larvae
- Zooplankton
- Data
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Benthic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- All species.
- Regional Endemism
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- Extends North of GC
- Also in Brazil
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Continent
- All species..
- Island (s)
- Continent + Island (s)
- Extends N + S of GC
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Temperate (>35N)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 33
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 5
