Genus: Exocoetus, Flyingfishes
pectoral reaches past A base
pelvic short, origin nearer pectoral origin than A origin
juvenile: no chin barbels
EXOCOETUS
FLYINGFISHES
Elongate, broadly cylindrical bodies; head short, snout short and blunt; mouth small, short, blunt, lower jaw a little longer than upper jaw: no teeth; fins without spines; anal origin under or behind 3rd dorsal ray; pectoral reaches past anal base, its 1st (and sometimes 2nd) ray unbranched; pelvic fin with origin nearer pectoral base than anal origin, fin short, not reaching anal origin; tail deeply forked with a much longer lower lobe; scales large, smooth, easily shed; lateral line low on the body, no branch to origin of pectoral; juveniles with or without barbels under chin.
This circumglobal tropical to temperate genus has 5 species; in our region there are one circumtropical species and one Atlantic species.
