Flying fish (
Exocoetidae) of the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean.
Prey taxa PRA DO Family Species MNI % MNI % Marine fish Cupleidae Unidentified 1 4 -- - Unidentified 1 4 1 1.3 Belonidae Tylosurus acus * 96 366 5 6.4 Belonidae Unidenfied 5 19 -- -
Exocoetidae Cheilopogon heterurus * 112 427 15 19.2 Aulostomidae Aulostomus strigosus -- -- 1 1.3 Moronidae Dicentrarchus labrax -- -- 1 1.3 Carangidae Trachinotus ovatus 5 19 2 2.6 Sparidae Sparus auratus 4 15 2 2.6 Sparidae Diplodus sp.
Dominant families collected by neuston net in both Sargassum and openwater habitats were Monacanthidae (83% of S, 79% of OW), Carangidae (9%, 13%), and
Exocoetidae (4%, 6%).
The only species frequently collected besides halfbeaks were Flyingfishes (
Exocoetidae: Cypselurus and Parexocoetus) and needlefishes (Belonidae: Ablennes and Tylosaurus).
0 0 1 Opisthonema oglinum 0 0 0 Sardinella aurita 0 0 0 Engraulidae Anchoa hepsetus 0 0 0 Anchoa mitchilli 0 0 4 Ariidae Arius felis 0 0 0 Bagre marinus 0 0 0 Synodontidae Synodus foetens 0 0 0 Gadidae Urophycis floridana 0 0 0 Batrachiodidae Opsanus beta 0 0 0 Ogcocephalidae Ogcocephalus radiatus 0 0 0
Exocoetidae Hyporhamphus meeki 0 0 0 Belonidae Strongylura marina 0 0 0 Atherinidae Membras martinica 0 10 0 Menidia spp.
1 0.1 1 < 0.1 No identificados 70 9.1 13 1.1 * * Myctophidae 1 0.1 1 < 0.1 No identificados 1 0.1 1 < 0.1 * Atherinidae 13 1.7 9 0.2 Atherinomorus stipes 2 0.3 2 < 0.1 * Hypoatherina harringtonensis 3 0.4 1 < 0.1 * No identificados 8 1.0 6 0.1 * * Belonidae 2 0.3 1 < 0.1 Strongylura marina 2 0.3 1 < 0.1 *
Exocoetidae 6 0.8 6 0.1 Cypselurus spp.
The Hemiramphidae are related to the
Exocoetidae (fiyingfishes) and, more distantly, to the Scomberosocidae (sauries), Belonidae (needlefishes), and Adrianichthyidae (ricefishes) (Collette et al., 1984).
1 <0.1 0.4 * Mugilidae Mugil spp, 3 <0.1 0.5 * Atherinidae Athefmotnorus stipes 163 16 1.7 * Hypttatherina 43 0.4 1.5 harringtonensis No identificados 47 0.5 1.2 * Belonidae Stmngyiura marina 3 <0.1 0.7
Exocoetidae Cypselurus spp.
MiF 5.29 Family
Exocoetidae F 4.12 Cheilopogon furcatus F 4.12 Cheilopogon spilonotopterus F 4.12 Cheilopogon spp.
Studies show that fast-swimming animals, fishes of families Belonidae, Scombridae,
Exocoetidae, Carangldae, Coryphaenidae, in particular, and most squids of the family Ommastrephidae, the ordinary food of tunas, are rare or absent in stomachs of lancetfish.
Exocoetidae) and some to be accidental bycatch (e.g.