Scientific Name
Exocoetus volitans  
Pronounce  
 Exocoetus volitans大頭飛魚
by: ©Ott, Gerhard H. F.
Author Linnaeus, 1758 Depth 0 - 20M
Chinese 大頭飛魚 Poisonous Fish No 
Family_Chinese 飛魚科 Economic Fish Yes 
Family F253　Exocoetidae Edible Fish Yes  Chinese In Mainland China 大頭飛魚 
Max Length 30 cm  Aquarium Fish No  Common Name 飛烏 
Distribution in World global   Distribution in Taiwan East、West、South、North、North East、PonFu、ShaoLiuChew、LanI Is. 
Habitats Ocean、Coastal  Holotype Locality Open ocean off Europe and America 
Synonyms Exocaetus commersonnii, Exocaetus volans, Exocaetus volitans, Exocetus volitans, Exocoetus commersonii, Exocoetus commersonnii, Exocoetus evolans, Exocoetus volans, Exocoetus volitans vagabundus, Halocypselus evolans, Halocypselus mesogaster   
Reference 臺灣魚類誌(沈等, 1993)；The Live Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific, Vol.4(FAO,1999)；Fishes of Japan(Nakabo, 2002)  沈世傑 編 Shih-Chieh Shen ed. 1993 Carpenter, K. E. etc. 1999 Nakabo T. 2002 
Specimen List NTUM03558.  
Common Name Sharpfinned flyingfish; Tropical two-wing flyingfish; Tropical two-wing; Two-wing flyingfish; Blue flying fish; Cosmopolitan flyingfish; Linne's flying fish; Flyingfish; Flying fish 
Redlist Status NL Not in IUCN Redlist     
Characteristic Body elongate, broadly cylindrical. Head short. Snout blunt. Mouth small. Both jaws of equal length; juveniles without barbels. Gill rakers well developed, with 30-34 gill rakers on first gill arch. Dorsal and anal fins with 13-15 soft rays; pectoral fins high on sides, strikingly long, always extending beyond posterior end of anal fin, anterior 1 soft rays unbranched; pelvic fins short, not reaching anal-fin origin, inserted nearer to pectoral-fin insertion than to anal-fin origin; caudal fin deeply forked, its lower lobe longer than the upper. Scales large, cycloid, easily shed; predorsal scales 17-20; lateral line without branch at throrax, with 43-48 scales; as a rule 6 transverse rows of scales between dorsal-fin origin and lateral line. Body deep blue above, pale below; dorsal fin without distinct black region; dorsal side of pectoral fin from anterior margin to 5th or 6th rays dark.
habitats Adults occur in surface waters, both near and far from the coast. Form schools. Capable of leaping out of the water and gliding for long distances above the surface. Feed mostly on crustaceans and other planktonic animals. Preyed upon by swordfish, tunas 
Distribution Widespread in tropical and subtropical zone of all oceans, probably absent in the inland seas of Southeast Asia. It is very common in all Taiwanese waters. 
Utility Minor importance to fisheries. Sometimes marketed fresh or dried.