Species: Cypselurus comatus, Clearwing Flyingfish

roof mouth with teeth
Cypselurus comatus (Mitchill, 1815)
Clearwing Flyingfish
Body elongate, nearly rectangular in cross section; slightly concave between eyes; mouth small, short, blunt, lower jaw a little shorter than and enclosed by upper jaw when mouth is closed; at least some jaw teeth with 3 points; teeth present on sides of roof of mouth; 19-24 gill rakers; fins without spines; dorsal fin low, 11-14 rays; anal fin 8-9 rays, originates under 4th-6th dorsal fin ray; pectoral reaches past anal base, with 1st ray unbranched; pelvic fins long, origin midway between operculum and tail fin base, reach beyond anal origin; tail deeply forked with a longer lower lobe; scales large, smooth, easily shed; lateral line low on the body, no branch of lateral line to origin of pectoral. Juveniles with 1 long broadly flattened chin barbel.
Dark above, paler below; dorsal and tail fins grey; pectorals uniformly light grey; anal fin transparent; pelvics grey on base, transparent elsewhere, rarely with a black spot. Juvenile: body blackish, pelvics heavily pigmented, base of barbel light, its side folds blackish.
Size: 30 cm.
Habitat: pelagic, inshore and offshore.
Depth: surface 0-20 m?
New York to central Brazil.

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- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- In & Offshore
- Inshore
- Offshore
- Water Column Position
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- Near Surface
- Surface
- Water column only
- Habitat
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- Water column
- FishBase Habitat
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- Pelagic
- Feeding Group
-
- Data
- Planktivore
- Diet
-
- Data
- Zooplankton
- Pelagic fish larvae
- Egg Type
-
- Benthic
- Data
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Also in Brazil
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Extends N + S of GC
- Extends North of GC
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Temperate (>35N)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- 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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- 20