| Family: |
Exocoetidae (Flyingfishes) |
| Max. size: |
27.7 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
pelagic-neritic; marine; depth range 0 - 20 m, oceanodromous |
| Distribution: |
Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and Persian Gulf to eastern Australia and Melanesia; from Macao to northwestern Australia. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-13; Anal soft rays: 8-9; Vertebrae: 38-43. Description: D 10-13 (usually 11-13); A 7-10 (usually 8-9); P I,12-16 (usually I. 13-15); predorsal scales 21-30 (usually 24-26); scales in an oblique (antrorse) row between the origin of the dorsal fin and the lateral line 6½-10½ (usually 8–8½); number of gill rakers 19-26 (4-8 + 14-19) (usually 21-24 (5-7 + 16-18); total vertebrae 38-43 (24-28 + 13-17), usually 40-41 (25-26 + 14-16); snout short, the upper jaw not pointed anteriorly; lower jaw shorter than upper jaw or of equal length (sometimes lower jaw slightly longer); jaw teeth small to medium (not visible to barely visible with naked eyes), mostly tricuspid and with additional cusps (some fish also with conical teeth); juveniles < 7.5-10.0 cm SL with mostly conical teeth; teeth arranged in 2-5 rows, in juveniles in 1-3 rows; palatine teeth always present, usually numerous (sparse in juveniles < 4.0-6.0 cm SL) (Ref. 130199).
It is a highly polymorphic, polytypic species with at least four subspecies within C. oligolepis, differ in pelvic-fin length, number of dorsal-fin rays, predorsal scales, transverse scales and vertebrae, pigmentation, and other characters (Ref. 130199). |
| Biology: |
Occurs in near-shore surface waters, never spread to open sea. Feeds on zooplankton and small fish (Ref. 9839). Capable of leaping out of the water and gliding above the surface (Ref. 30573). Used in Chinese medicine (Ref. 12166). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.
