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Species: Cypselurus comatus, Clearwing Flyingfish

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

pectoral reaches past D, 1st ray not branched
A origin under/behind 3rd D ray
lower jaw shorter than & enclosed by top jaw
roof mouth with teeth
pelvics: long, origin midway head & C base
juvenile: 1 chin barbel

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
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • In & Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Offshore
Water Column Position
  • Near Surface
  • Surface
  • Water column only
Habitat
  • Water column
FishBase Habitat
  • Pelagic
Feeding Group
  • Data
  • Planktivore
Diet
  • Data
  • Zooplankton
  • Pelagic fish larvae
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • Data
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • 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
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Temperate (>35N)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 30
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 20