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Black wing flyingfish (Hirundichthys rondeletii) — Exocoetidae

Black wing flyingfish

Hirundichthys rondeletii
Family: Exocoetidae
LC · Least Concern

The Black wing flyingfish (Hirundichthys rondeletii) is a saltwater fish of the family Exocoetidae that grows up to 30 cm.

Length
30 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–1.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The blackwing flyingfish is a flyingfish of the family Exocoetidae found worldwide in warm oceans. The species grows to about 30 cm and has a streamlined, silvery body with greatly enlarged, wing-like pectoral fins and a deeply forked tail with an extended lower lobe. It inhabits open surface water and, by building up speed with a rapidly beating tail, can leap from the water and glide considerable distances above the surface to escape predators. As an omnivore it feeds on zooplankton. The species is an important prey for tuna, dolphinfishes and seabirds, and is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Black wing flyingfish?

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

Where does the Black wing flyingfish live?

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

How big does the Black wing flyingfish get?

The Black wing flyingfish grows to a maximum of about 30 cm. On average the species is around 20 cm.

Is the Black wing flyingfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Black wing flyingfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Black wing flyingfish edible?

The Black wing flyingfish is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Zwartvin-vliegende vis sourced
English name
Black wing flyingfish verified
Scientific name
Hirundichthys rondeletii
Family
Exocoetidae
Other names
Blackwing flying fish; Blackwing Flyingfish; Blackwing flyingfish; Blackwinged flyingfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
30.0 verified
Average length (cm)
20.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal 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)
1.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Schooling 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 Hirundichthys

More from the family Exocoetidae

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