Glider Flyingfish, Cheilopogon atrisignis (Jenkins 1903)


Other Names: Greater Spotted Flyingfish

A Glider Flyingfish, Cheilopogon atrisignis, from the Cook Islands. Source: Gerald McCormack / Cook Islands Natural History Trust. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Summary:
A flyingfish with a black spot on the dorsal fin, and bluish pectoral fins with small black spots on the entire fin, or on the fin base and/or the tip. The spots increase in size towards the lower fin margin.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2021, Cheilopogon atrisignis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/3043

Glider Flyingfish, Cheilopogon atrisignis (Jenkins 1903)

More Info


Distribution

Off Ningaloo, Western Australia, to east of Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea; Also Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical Indo-Pacific.
Inhabits near surface waters, especially around offshore islands.

Features

Dorsal fin 14-16; Anal fin 9-10; Predorsal scales 33-34.
Body elongate, broadly cylindrical, relatively deep (depth < 16% of SL); head short, < 22% of SL; snout short and blunt; mouth small, jaws ~ equal length, or lower a little longer, top one not protrusible; jaw teeth with 1 point, sometimes with smaller secondary points; sides of roof of mouth with teeth.
Lateral line low on the body, no branch to origin of pectoral; scales large, smooth, easily shed.
Pectoral fin reaching beyond anal-fin base, 1st  ray unbranched; pelvic fin origin nearer operculum than base of caudal fin, fin elongate, reaching beyond anal-fin origin; anal-fin origin below 6th dorsal-fin ray; caudal fin deeply forked with a longer lower lobe;  juveniles with 2 fused barbels under chin.  

Colour

Reddish-brown above, silver below; dorsal fin grey with dark spot in middle; pectorals dark, with numerous small black spots, rear border narrowly clear; anal clear; tail grey-brown; pelvic-fin rays grey, membrane clear.

Etymology

The specific name atrisignis is from the Latin atri- (= black) and signis (= mark) in reference to the black spots on the pectoral fins, and/or the black spot on the dorsal fin.

Species Citation

Cypselurus atrisignis Jenkins 1903, Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission 22: 436, pl. 3. Type locality: Honolulu, Oahu Island, Hawaii.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2021

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Glider Flyingfish, Cheilopogon atrisignis (Jenkins 1903)

References


Jenkins, O.P. 1903. Report on collections of fishes made in the Hawaiian Islands, with descriptions of new species. Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission 22: 417-511 figs 1-50 pls 1-4 See ref at BHL

Parin, N.V. 1999. Family Exocoetidae. pp. 2162-2179 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37233018

Depth:0-10 m

Habitat:Pelagic, oceanodromous

Max Size:33 cm SL

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Species Maps

CAAB distribution map