Relevant synonyms None Misidentification in use Parexocoetus brachypterus Meristic formula D, 9-12; A, 10-12; P, 13-14; V, 6; GR, 27-30  photo : Philip C.  Heemstra

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body elongated, compressed anteriorly becoming round posteriorly. Dorsal fin posterior in position, longest ray reaching caudal fin base. Anal fin base opposite dorsal fin base. Caudal fin deeply forked, lower lobe much longer than upper one. Pelvic fin origin close to midpoint. Pectoral fin long but not reaching beyond anal fin base. Large eyes. Upper jaw protruding. Cycloid scales, deciduous and easily detachable. color : back dark blue with silvery white belly. Dorsal fin dark, other fins grey. size : common 7-10 cm (max. 12 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Other Exocoetidae spp: pectoral fin reaching back beyond anal fin base. Upper jaw not protrusible. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Schooling species. When threatened, capable of leaping out of the water and gliding for long distance. Feeds on zooplankton. Entire egg surface with filaments. Unlike most confamilies, juveniles have no barbels on chin. habitat : epipelagic inshore.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Palestine, 1935. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : wide Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea to Fiji. Mediterranean : recorded first from Palestine (Bruun, 1935); successively recorded in Rhodes (Tortonese, 1938); Libya (Ben-Tuvia, 1966) and Albania (Parin, 1986). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Prevalent. speculated reasons for success : unknown. MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS Caught occasionally in purse seine but, due to its relatively small size, its commercial importance is negligible.

KEY REFERENCES Bruun A.F., 1935. Parexocoetus, a Red Sea flying fish in the Mediterranean. Nature, 136:553. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: March 2001 ©ciesm 2002