Atlantic Flyingfish
Cheilopogon melanurus (Valenciennes, 1847)
Atlantic Flyingfish: https://marylandbiodiversity.com/species/5182
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Source: Wikipedia

Atlantic flyingfish
In flight
Juvenile
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Beloniformes
Family: Exocoetidae
Genus: Cheilopogon
Species:
C. melanurus
Binomial name
Cheilopogon melanurus
Synonyms
  • Cypselurus melanurus Valenciennes, 1847
  • Exocoetus lutkeni Jordan & Evermann, 1896
  • Exocoetus melanurus Valenciennes, 1847

The Atlantic flyingfish (Cheilopogon melanurus) is a flying fish in the family Exocoetidae. The flyingfish fauna is made up of 16 total species, 6 of which belong to the genus Cheilopogon, including C. melanurus.[2] The Atlantic flyingfish is also in the order Beloniformes and class Actinopterygii.[3] It was first described by the French zoologist, Achille Valenciennes in a 22-volume work entitled Histoire naturelle des poissons (Natural History of Fish), which was a collaboration with fellow zoologist Georges Cuvier.

Species Description

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When flying, a distinctive pattern in the water can be made by beating its tail.

C. melanurus is a four-winged species with two large wings at the front of its body and two smaller wings behind them.[4]  Atlantic flyingfish tend to reach around 265 millimeters, but the standard length for measurement is 226 millimeters.[4][5] The longest recorded individual was 32 centimeters (320 millimeters),[6] although this length is highly uncommon.[7]

Like many other flyingfishes, the Atlantic flyingfish has a cylindrical body, large tail, and pectoral fins that it uses for flight. Atlantic flyingfish are generally green to blue dorsally, and white or silver ventrally.[7] They have a sharp, small snout that is shorter than the length of its eye and a small, slanted mouth.[8] They also have a dark dorsal fin, a transparent anal fin, and a darkly colored caudal fin.   

As for juveniles, their appearance differs slightly from adult Atlantic flyingfish.[9] The dorsal fins of juveniles are often unevenly pigmented, and they tend to have short mandibular barbels on their chins which are sensory organs used to sense their surroundings. Young Atlantic flyingfish up to 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) can have transparent pectorals and often swim in harbors or bays.[10] :124 The pectoral fin rays of juveniles are short in comparison to adults. At the time of hatching, Atlantic flyingfish are only four millimeters in length and sexual maturity is not reached until around 200 millimeters in length.[8][4]

Distinctive Characteristics and Similar Species

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Palatine teeth are absent in C. melanurus, although not all other fish of the same genus share this characteristic.[11] Moreover, the chin barbels of the Atlantic flyingfish are short in relation to other fish of the same genus.[2] Unlike other flyingfish genera, C. melanurus can be differentiated by its long pectoral fin, primarily black dorsal fin, and ventral fins that barely reach or do not fully reach the start of the anal fin.[12]  

The Atlantic flyingfish can be easily mistaken for the Mediterranean flyingfish, Cheilopogon heterurus, as they closely resemble one another and have comparable features.[5] The number of vertebrae is often used to distinguish between the two species because the Atlantic flyingfish has fewer vertebrae than the Mediterranean flyingfish.[8] Since their meristic ranges overlap, these two species are divided by sea surface temperature preferences. This separation differentiates them as tropical (C. melanurus) and subtropical species (C. heterurus).[13]  

Distribution and Habitat

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As its name suggests, the Atlantic flyingfish is only found in the pelagic zone to the neritic zone[14] in the Atlantic Ocean which are the upper open areas and the shallow parts of the ocean. Atlantic flyingfish live in surface waters near shore,[6] where Atlantic flyingfish are preyed upon by several species of larger fishes and seabirds, such as the Wahoo[15] and Sooty tern[16].

Photo Copyright IUCN, Global geographic range of the Atlantic flyingfish [3]

Atlantic flyingfish rarely occur outside of these coastal waters and show a strong preference for shallow areas.[5] Consistently, C. melanurus tends to live in warm tropical waters and generally does not go further than about 640 kilometers (400 miles) away from the shoreline.[17]  

In the western Atlantic, they are known to live in Gulf Stream waters from Massachusetts south to Brazil.[14] They are found in the Caribbean Sea and around the Antilles[18] while in the north, they are found off the coast of Canada.[19] Off Africa, Atlantic flyingfish are known from Senegal to Liberia[20] and have been reported from São Tomé and Príncipe.[21] They are especially abundant off the coast of North Carolina and other nearby regions of the Atlantic Ocean.[4]

Biology

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Locomotion

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When flying, a distinctive pattern in the water can be made by beating its tail. To fly, the Atlantic flyingfish jumps out of the water, uses its pectoral fins to catch air currents and provide lift, and beats its tail back and forth to provide thrust.[7] After reaching a speed of 30 kilometers/hour (19 mph),[10]:124  Atlantic flyingfish can jump out of the water and glide about three to 12 meters (10 to 40 feet) [10]:32 . This is presumably done to avoid ocean-going predators.[22]

Diet

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When it comes to diet, the Atlantic flyingfish primarily consumes zooplankton using its gill rakers and surface feeding techniques.[23] Their diet is highly linked to their epipelagic habitat preference, or the top layer of the ocean, as plankton can be found in shallow or top layers of water. However, the gills of the Atlantic flyingfish, which are vital for effective feeding, can be subject to parasites such as parasitic flatworms of the suborder Gastrocotylinea.[17]

Reproduction

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The spawning season of the Atlantic flyingfish is believed to be from June to August throughout the summer, although there have been documented gravid females as early as March.[4] During spawning, Atlantic flyingfish tend to mate in large groups near the surface of the water.  

When females are ready to deposit eggs, they do so on the substrate in the water.[24] C. melanurus eggs have filaments that support the attachment to other eggs or vegetation in the water.[4] Often, larger females will release a greater number of eggs during reproduction. Ripe eggs are up to 1.8 to 1.9 millimeters in diameter and the filaments cover the full surface of the egg at this size.[11]

Conservation Status and Economic Importance

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In regions such as the Gulf of Guinea, the Atlantic flyingfish provides high economic value for artisanal fleet fishing.[9] In a study by Zacarias et al. in São Tomé and Príncipe, researchers found C. melanurus to be the most important small-scale fishing catch with the highest occurrence rate in comparison to eight other local species. However, this paper also draws in concern for the fishing market of C. melanurus, stating that in comparison to previous studies, the number of small-scale-caught fish has reduced which may cause a threat to food security across the country. Research also indicates that C. melanurus is often highly targeted by Liberian fishermen due to their pelagic nature, making them an accessible resource to locals.[2] In terms of the United States, the Atlantic flyingfish is minimally researched off the southeastern coast due to its low economic influence and minimal use for this area.[4]

According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Atlantic flyingfish is of least concern in terms of its conservation concern.[3] This species is very well-distributed and remains abundant in the areas it inhabits. The population trend is unknown, and the scope of its assessment was global. However, the date of its last assessment by the IUCN was January 2013 meaning it should be reassessed within the next couple years.

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References

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  1. ^ Collette, B.; Singh-Renton, S.; Robertson, R.; Marechal, J.; Aiken, K.A.; Dooley, J.; Oxenford, H.; Pina Amargos, F.; Kishore, R. (2015). "Cheilopogon melanurus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T190276A15603040. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T190276A15603040.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Van Noord, J. E.; Lewallen, E. A.; & Pitman, R. L. (2013). "Flyingfish feeding ecology in the eastern Pacific: Prey partitioning within a speciose epipelagic community", Journal of Fish Biology, 83(2), 326–342.
  3. ^ a b c Collette, B.; Singh-Renton, S.; Robertson, R.; Marechal, J.; Aiken, K.A.; Dooley, J.; Oxenford, H.; Pina Amargos, F.; Kishore, R. (2015). "Cheilopogon melanurus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T190276A15603040. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T190276A15603040.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Casazza, Tara ; Ross, Steve ; Necaise, Ann ; Sulak, Kenneth (2005). "Reproduction and mating behavior of the Atlantic flyingfish, Cheilopogon melanurus (Exocoetidae), off North Carolina", Bulletin of Marine Science, 76 (3): 539–551.
  5. ^ a b c Shakhovskoy, Illia ; & Malikova, D. Y. (2018). "New occurrences of flying fishes Cheilopogon melanurus and C. heterurus (Exocoetidae) in the North Central Atlantic and Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea", Journal of Ichthyology, 58(2), 255–259.  
  6. ^ a b Cervigón, F., R. Cipriani, W. Fischer, L. Garibaldi, M. Hendrickx, A.J. Lemus, R. Márquez, J.M. Poutiers, G. Robaina and B. Rodriguez 1992 Fichas FAO de identificación de especies para los fines de la pesca. Guía de campo de las especies comerciales marinas y de aquas salobres de la costa septentrional de Sur América. FAO, Rome. 513 p. Preparado con el financiamento de la Comisión de Comunidades Europeas y de NORAD.
  7. ^ a b c "Atlantic Flying Fish". animalexploration.tripod.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  8. ^ a b c McEachran, John; Fechhelm, Janice (2021). "Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico, Vol. 1: Myxiniformes to Gasterosteiformes (Vol. 1)", University of Texas Press.
  9. ^ a b Zacarias, Wilfred; Dai, Xiaojie; Kindong, Richard; Sarr, Ousmane; & Moussa, Abdoulrazack (2022). "Analysis of fishery resource management practices in São Tomé and Príncipe: Perception of the dynamics of catches from 1950 to 2020, recommendations and strategies for future research", Sustainability, 14(20), 13367.
  10. ^ a b c Stokes, F. Joseph (1994) [1984]. Divers and Snorkelers Guide to the Fishes and Sea Life. Singapore: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. ISBN 0-910006-46-6 Retrieved 2009-06-22.
  11. ^ a b Parin, Nikolay (2003). "An annotated catalogue of fish-like vertebrates and fishes of the seas of Russia and adjacent countries: Part 3. Orders Perciformes (excluding suborders Gobioidei, Zoarcoidei and Stichaeoidei) and Tetraodontiformes", Journal of Ichthyology 42(1), S1-S40.
  12. ^ Collette, Bruce; Bemis, Katherine ; Parin, Nikolay ; Shakhovskoy, Illia (2019). "Order Beloniformes: Needlefishes, Sauries, Halfbeaks, and Flyingfishes: Part 10", Sears Foundation for Marine Research.
  13. ^ Breder, Charles Jr. (1938). "A Contribution to the Life Histories of Atlantic Flyingfishes", Bulletin of the Yale Bingham Oceanographic Collection, 6(5).
  14. ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Cheilopogon melanurus". FishBase. May 2009 version.
  15. ^ Manooch, C.S. III and W.T. Hogarth 1983 Stomach contents and giant trematodes from wahoo, Acanthocybium solanderi, collected along the south Atlantic and coasts of the United States. Bull. Mar. Sci. 33(2):227-238.
  16. ^ Hensley, V.I. and D. A. Hensley 1995 Fishes eaten by sooty terns and brown noddies in the Dry Tortugas, Florida. Bull. Mar. Sci. 56(3):813-821.
  17. ^ a b Richards, William (Ed.). (2005). "Early stages of Atlantic fishes: An identification guide for the western central North Atlantic, two volume set (1st ed.)", CRC Press.
  18. ^ Smith, C.L. 1997 National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 720 p.
  19. ^ Scott, W.B. and M.G. Scott 1988 Atlantic fishes of Canada. Can. Bull. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 219: 731 p
  20. ^ Parin, N.V. and R.H. Gibbs, Jr. 1990 Exocoetidae. p. 583–591. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2.
  21. ^ Afonso, P., F.M. Porteiro, R.S. Santos, J.P. Barreiros, J. Worms and P. Wirtz 1999 Coastal marine fishes of São Tomé Island (Gulf of Guinea). Arquipélago 17(A):65-92.
  22. ^ "Flyingfish". Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  23. ^ Lewallen, Eric; Pitman, Robert; Kjartanson, Shawna; Lovejoy, Nathan (2011). "Molecular systematics of flyingfishes (Teleostei: Exocoetidae): Evolution in the epipelagic zone", Zoologischer Anzeiger - A Journal of Comparative Zoology, 250(4), 420–430.  
  24. ^ Shakhovskoy, Illia (2018). "Specific features of distribution in the World Ocean of some flying fishes of the genera Exocoetus, Hirundichthys and Cypselurus (Exocoetidae)", FishTaxa, 3(4), 40–80.
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