Species: Cheilopogon furcatus, Spotfin Flyingfish

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: 0-20 m.

Worldwide in the tropics; from 44N to ~18S in the W Atlantic.