Home · Exocoetidae · Doublebearded flyingfish
Doublebearded flyingfish (Cheilopogon furcatus) — Exocoetidae

Doublebearded flyingfish

Cheilopogon furcatus
Family: Exocoetidae
LC · Least Concern

The Doublebearded flyingfish (Cheilopogon furcatus) is a saltwater fish of the family Exocoetidae that grows up to 35 cm.

Length
35 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–20.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Large groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The spotfin flyingfish is a flyingfish (Exocoetidae) from the warm parts of the world ocean. The species has a slender, silvery body with greatly enlarged, wing-like pectoral fins bearing a dark spot. It lives at the surface of the open ocean and when threatened can shoot out of the water and glide considerable distances above the surface to escape predators. It feeds on zooplankton. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Doublebearded flyingfish?

The Doublebearded flyingfish has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Doublebearded flyingfish live?

The Doublebearded flyingfish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Doublebearded flyingfish get?

The Doublebearded flyingfish grows to a maximum of about 35 cm. On average the species is around 25 cm.

Is the Doublebearded flyingfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Doublebearded flyingfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Doublebearded flyingfish edible?

The Doublebearded flyingfish is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Vlekvin-vliegende vis sourced
English name
Doublebearded flyingfish verified
Scientific name
Cheilopogon furcatus
Family
Exocoetidae
Other names
Flyingfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
35.0 verified
Average length (cm)
25.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Superior (upward) inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
20.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Large groups inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Sportvissen met kunstaas of (dood/levend) aasvis door te trollen, te werpen of drijvend te vissen in open water. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Cheilopogon

More from the family Exocoetidae

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