Home · Exocoetidae · Bleeker's flyingfish
Bleeker's flyingfish (Cypselurus oligolepis) — Exocoetidae

Bleeker's flyingfish

Cypselurus oligolepis
Family: Exocoetidae
NE · Not Evaluated

The Bleeker's flyingfish (Cypselurus oligolepis) is a saltwater fish of the family Exocoetidae that grows up to 28 cm.

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

Description

Bleeker's flyingfish is a flyingfish from the Indo-Pacific. The species grows to about 28 cm and has a streamlined, blue-silver body with large scales and greatly enlarged, wing-like pectoral and pelvic fins. When threatened it shoots out of the water and glides tens of metres over the surface to escape predators. It schools at the surface of open water and feeds on small zooplankton. The fish is harmless to humans. The IUCN has not evaluated the species.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Bleeker's flyingfish?

The Bleeker's flyingfish has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly blue and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Bleeker's flyingfish live?

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

How big does the Bleeker's flyingfish get?

The Bleeker's flyingfish grows to a maximum of about 28 cm.

Is the Bleeker's flyingfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Bleeker's flyingfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Bleeker's flyingfish edible?

The Bleeker's flyingfish is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Bleekers vliegende vis verified
English name
Bleeker's flyingfish verified
Scientific name
Cypselurus oligolepis
Family
Exocoetidae
Other names
Flyingfish; Largescale flyingfish; Largescale flying-fish verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
27.7 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Blue sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Superior (upward) sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
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 verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

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 Cypselurus

More from the family Exocoetidae

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