Australasian flying fish
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| Cheilopogon pinnatibarbatus melanocercus (Ogilby, 1885) |
The Australasian flying fish, Cheilopogon pinnatibarbatus melanocercus, is a subspecies of flyingfish of the family Exocoetidae, found off New South Wales of Australia, and around New Zealand, in surface waters. Its length is up to 45 cm.
The Australasian flying fish is the largest species in the Exocoetidae family. They have elongate bodies, squarish in cross-section, with a small head and mouth. Large eyes dominate the head and are placed high on the sides so as to be able to detect food animals near the surface. This species is a bi-plane flying fish with extremely large pectoral fins but also having moderately large pelvic fins towards the rear of the abdomen that are used to provide lift for flight. The small dorsal and anal fins are immediately in front of the deeply forked tail, the lower lobe of which is longer and thicker than the upper. As a consequence of their surface pelagic mode of life flying fish are distinctly counter-shaded; dark blue or violet on the back and silver on the sides and belly.
The flying ability for which these fishes are named is used as an escape mechanism to avoid the attacks of larger predator fishes. Swimming fast to build up sufficient speed, the flying fish angles up sharply through the surface and spreads its large pectoral fins, holding them tautly curved in a lifting airfoil shape like the wing of an aircraft. The enlarged lower lobe of the tail remains in the water, beating rapidly until takeoff speed is reached. At this stage the smaller pelvic fins are also spread to lift the tail and achieve full gliding flight. Once airborne the fish can glide at least 50 m to either splash back beneath the surface, or to lower the tail and again beat it rapidly to build up speed for another flight.
They feed on small krill and other crustaceans that live in the surface layer of water.
[edit] References
- "Cheilopogon pinnatibarbatus melanocercus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
