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Genus: Parexocoetus, Flyingfishes, Sailfin Flyingfish


All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

top jaw protractile
pectoral not reaching past A base
pelvic reaches A origin
branch of LL to pectoral base
juvenile: 2 chin barbels

PAREXOCOETUS

FLYINGFISHES

Body elongate, broadly cylindrical; head short, snout short and blunt; mouth small, short, blunt, upper jaw protrusible, small conical teeth; fins without spines; anal origin before 2nd dorsal ray; pectoral moderately long, not reaching past anal base, 1st 2 rays unbranched; pelvic fin short, barely reaching anal origin, its origin nearer the anal fin base than the pectoral base; tail deeply forked with a longer lower lobe; scales large, smooth, easily shed; lateral line low on the body, with a branch to origin of pectoral; juveniles with paired chin barbells (easily lost).

A circumtropical genus with 3 species; 1 W Atlantic species in our region.