oceanic two-wing flyingfish

Exocoetus obtusirostris

Gliding above water to evade predators

Tropical
Southern Hemisphere
Regional distribution
Marine fish
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Africa
Europe
North America
Oceania
South America
Medium
Tropical fish

Exocoetus obtusirostris, commonly known as the oceanic two-wing flyingfish or the blunt-snouted flyingfish, is a species of ray-finned fish native to the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic Ocean. It has the ability to glide above the surface of the water to escape from predators.

Class: Teleosts
Order: Needlefishes, Halfbeaks, and Allies
Family: Exocoetidae
Genus: Exocoetus
Maximum length: 24 cm
Water: Marine
Distribution: South Pacific: between 10°S and 32°S, from Australia to Ecuador (Ref. 5530 ) and Peru. Eastern Atlantic: South of Azores and Madeira to Angola, individual stragglers off Portugal and in the Mediterranean (Ref. 6523 ). Western Atlantic: off New Jersey and Florida to the northern Gulf of Mexico and Brazil (Ref. 7251 ). Uncommon in the Antilles (Ref. 51183 ). Conspecificity of the Atlantic and Pacific populations needs confirmation (Ref. 27313 ).
Conservation status: LCLeast Concern

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