Body dark iridescent blue dorsally, silvery white ventrally;
D and C greyish, other fins hyaline. Juveniles elongate,
without chin barbels, paired fins black. Attains about 25 cm
SL. An oceanic species widely distributed in southern and
northern subtropical waters of all oceans, absent in tropics ;
common off the Cape .
116.8 Hirundichthys speculiger
(Valenciennes, 1846)
Mirrorwing flyingfish
Spieelvlerk-vlieende vis
Exocoetus speculiger Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1846: 94 (Mauritius).
Hirundichthys specu/iger: Kovalevskaya, 1980: 240*; Gibbs, 1981: Hir 3*;
Parin, 1984: 27*.
D 10-12; A 11-13; P i,15-18; predorsal 30-34; vertebrae 45-47; GR
23-29. Depth 5.6-6.3, head 4.0-4.4, P 1.3-1.5 in SL. A origin before 2nd D
ray; V reach well past A origin.
Body dark, iridescent blue dorsally, silvery white ventrally;
D and C greyish, other fins hyaline . Juveniles elongate,
without chin barbels, the paired fins mottled . Attains about
25 cm SL. An oceanic species, worldwide in tropical waters.
One juvenile found on beach at Mbibi , Zululand (RUSI
5894); another from False Bay (SAM 25639).
116.8 Hirundichthys speculiger: 26 cm (after Abe, 1956).
Genus Parexocoetus Bleeker, 1866
Middle D rays distinctly longer than anterior rays; V
reach past A origin, their origin nearer A than to P base .
Two species.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Drays 9-12, longest rays scarcely reaching origin of
upper C lobe; predorsal scales 16-20; A rays 10-12 ......... Pa. mento
Ib Drays 12-14, longest rays reach well past origin of
upper C lobe; predorsal scales 20-24;
A rays 12-14 ............................ .... Pa. brachypterus brachypterus
116.9 Parexacaetus brachypterus brachypterus
(Richardson, 1846)
Sailfin flyingfish
Seilvin-vlieende vis
Exocoetus brachypterus Richardson, 1846: 265 (Tahiti).Parexocoetus
brachypterus: Gibbs, 1981 : Par 1* ; Parin, 1984: 33*.
116: EXOCOETIDAE (FL YINGFISHES)
D 12-14; A 12-14; P ii,1l-12; vertebrae 39-40; GR23-30. Depth 5.0-6.5,
head 4.1-4.5, P 1.7-2.0 in SL. Juveniles with 2 short chin barbels .
Body dark, iridescent greenish blue dorsally, silvery
white ventrally; D base and posterior rays pale, rest of fin
black; V greyish, the other fins transparent. Attains 14 cm
SL. A tropical, Indo-Pacific neritic species, extends south
to Natal; other subspecies in tropical Atlantic.
116.9 Parexocoetus brachypterus brachypterus: 16 cm; bottom left: ventral
view of 12 cm specimen showing black barbels; right: ventral view of
15.5 cm specimen showing light-coloured, extremely small barbels
(after Abe, 1955).
116.10 Parexacaetus menta
(Valenciennes, 1846)
PLATE 16
African sailfin flyingfish
Afrikaanse seilvin-vlieende vis
Exocoetus mento Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1846: 124 (Pondicherry,
India). Parexocoetus brachypterus (non Valenciennes): Smith, SFSA No.
215*. Parexocoetus mento: Kotthaus, 1969: 7*; Parin, 1984: 35*.
D 9-12; A 10-12; Pi, 12-13; vertebrae 35-37; GR 25-30. Depth 4.5-5.0,
head 3.7-4.0 , P 1.8-2.1 in SL.luveniles with a bony knob at front of lower
jaw.
D mostly blackish; P and C greyish, the other fins transparent. Attains about 11 cm SL. A neritic species of the
tropical Indo-West Pacific and Red Sea; common north of
Delagoa Bay; invaded the Mediterranean via Suez Canal.
Genus Prognichthys Breder. 1928
V reach well past A origin, their origins much nearer
head than to C. Juveniles robust, without chin barbels. At
least 4 species, 2 in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
la P with 3 unbranched rays ................................... Pro brevipinnis
Ib P with 4 unbranched rays .................. ............ .. .......... Pro sealei
116.11 Prognichthys brevipinnis
(Valenciennes, 1846)
Shartfin flyingfish
Kartvin vlieende vis
Exocoetus brevipinnis Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1846: 125 (New
Ireland). ?Cypselurus nigripennis (non Val.): Fowler, 1934: 432* ; Smith ,
395
D and C greyish, other fins hyaline. Juveniles elongate,
without chin barbels, paired fins black. Attains about 25 cm
SL. An oceanic species widely distributed in southern and
northern subtropical waters of all oceans, absent in tropics ;
common off the Cape .
116.8 Hirundichthys speculiger
(Valenciennes, 1846)
Mirrorwing flyingfish
Spieelvlerk-vlieende vis
Exocoetus speculiger Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1846: 94 (Mauritius).
Hirundichthys specu/iger: Kovalevskaya, 1980: 240*; Gibbs, 1981: Hir 3*;
Parin, 1984: 27*.
D 10-12; A 11-13; P i,15-18; predorsal 30-34; vertebrae 45-47; GR
23-29. Depth 5.6-6.3, head 4.0-4.4, P 1.3-1.5 in SL. A origin before 2nd D
ray; V reach well past A origin.
Body dark, iridescent blue dorsally, silvery white ventrally;
D and C greyish, other fins hyaline . Juveniles elongate,
without chin barbels, the paired fins mottled . Attains about
25 cm SL. An oceanic species, worldwide in tropical waters.
One juvenile found on beach at Mbibi , Zululand (RUSI
5894); another from False Bay (SAM 25639).
116.8 Hirundichthys speculiger: 26 cm (after Abe, 1956).
Genus Parexocoetus Bleeker, 1866
Middle D rays distinctly longer than anterior rays; V
reach past A origin, their origin nearer A than to P base .
Two species.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Drays 9-12, longest rays scarcely reaching origin of
upper C lobe; predorsal scales 16-20; A rays 10-12 ......... Pa. mento
Ib Drays 12-14, longest rays reach well past origin of
upper C lobe; predorsal scales 20-24;
A rays 12-14 ............................ .... Pa. brachypterus brachypterus
116.9 Parexacaetus brachypterus brachypterus
(Richardson, 1846)
Sailfin flyingfish
Seilvin-vlieende vis
Exocoetus brachypterus Richardson, 1846: 265 (Tahiti).Parexocoetus
brachypterus: Gibbs, 1981 : Par 1* ; Parin, 1984: 33*.
116: EXOCOETIDAE (FL YINGFISHES)
D 12-14; A 12-14; P ii,1l-12; vertebrae 39-40; GR23-30. Depth 5.0-6.5,
head 4.1-4.5, P 1.7-2.0 in SL. Juveniles with 2 short chin barbels .
Body dark, iridescent greenish blue dorsally, silvery
white ventrally; D base and posterior rays pale, rest of fin
black; V greyish, the other fins transparent. Attains 14 cm
SL. A tropical, Indo-Pacific neritic species, extends south
to Natal; other subspecies in tropical Atlantic.
116.9 Parexocoetus brachypterus brachypterus: 16 cm; bottom left: ventral
view of 12 cm specimen showing black barbels; right: ventral view of
15.5 cm specimen showing light-coloured, extremely small barbels
(after Abe, 1955).
116.10 Parexacaetus menta
(Valenciennes, 1846)
PLATE 16
African sailfin flyingfish
Afrikaanse seilvin-vlieende vis
Exocoetus mento Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1846: 124 (Pondicherry,
India). Parexocoetus brachypterus (non Valenciennes): Smith, SFSA No.
215*. Parexocoetus mento: Kotthaus, 1969: 7*; Parin, 1984: 35*.
D 9-12; A 10-12; Pi, 12-13; vertebrae 35-37; GR 25-30. Depth 4.5-5.0,
head 3.7-4.0 , P 1.8-2.1 in SL.luveniles with a bony knob at front of lower
jaw.
D mostly blackish; P and C greyish, the other fins transparent. Attains about 11 cm SL. A neritic species of the
tropical Indo-West Pacific and Red Sea; common north of
Delagoa Bay; invaded the Mediterranean via Suez Canal.
Genus Prognichthys Breder. 1928
V reach well past A origin, their origins much nearer
head than to C. Juveniles robust, without chin barbels. At
least 4 species, 2 in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
la P with 3 unbranched rays ................................... Pro brevipinnis
Ib P with 4 unbranched rays .................. ............ .. .......... Pro sealei
116.11 Prognichthys brevipinnis
(Valenciennes, 1846)
Shartfin flyingfish
Kartvin vlieende vis
Exocoetus brevipinnis Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1846: 125 (New
Ireland). ?Cypselurus nigripennis (non Val.): Fowler, 1934: 432* ; Smith ,
395