Cypselurus oligolepis ( Bleeker, 1865 )

Shakhovskoy, Ilia B. & Parin, Nikolay V., 2022, A review of the flying fish genus Cypselurus (Beloniformes: Exocoetidae). Part 2. Revision of the subgenus Poecilocypselurus Bruun, 1935 with descriptions of three new species and five new subspecies and reinstatement of Exocoetus apus Valenciennes and E. neglectus Bleeker, Zootaxa 5117 (1), pp. 1-109 : 14-16

Cypselurus oligolepis ( Bleeker, 1865)

This highly polymorphic species includes at least 4 subspecies.

Only those publications in which synonymy with C. oligolepis was quite evident, but we were uncertain (because of insufficient data provided) about subspecies identification are listed below.

Synonymy and bibliography.

Cypselurus oligolepis . Fowler 1928: 84 (short description (after Weber & de Beaufort 1922); Oceania; in part). Fowler 1934: 394 (listed; Oceania). Martin 1938: 178 (fishery; Cebu, Philippines). Herre 1953: 162 (listed; Philippines). Parin 1960b: 156 (distribution; western Pacific; in part). Parin 1961b: 112, 118, 129, 167, fig. 8g (morphology, systematics). Parin 1967: 45–46, 52 (distribution, biology). Kovalevskaya 1980: 224 (listed). Hutomo & Burhanuddin 1985: 28 (listed; Indonesia). Heemstra & Parin 1986: 393 (in key; probable in South Africa). Fedoryako 1989a: 234 (listed as associated with drifting objects; in part). Fedoryako 1989b: 567 (listed). Jinadasa 1991: 109 (fishery; Sri Lanka). Gillett & Ianelli 1993: 178 (listed; Pacific Islands). Randall 1995: 90 (short description; Gulf of Oman; in part). Parin 1996: 302, 306 [359, 363] (distribution; West Pacific). Sommer et al. 1996: 164 (short description; Somalia; in part). Collette et al. 1997: 27 ( Mauritius). Parin 1999: 2165, 2174 (distribution, diagnostic characters; Western Pacific; in part). Parin 2000: 600 (listed; South China Sea). Syahailatua 2004: 3 (listed; Indonesia). Paxton et al. 2006: 728 (distribution; Australia). Syahailatua et al. 2009: 42 (listed; Ambon). Fricke et al. 2011: 370 (listed; New Caledonia).? Novikov et al. 2011: 205 (sighting observations; Arabian Sea). Sathianandan et al. 2011: 7 (listed as species contributing to fishery; India). Larson et al. 2013: 67 (listed; Northern Territory, Australia). Gordeeva & Shakhovskoy 2017: 215–216, fig. 1 [289, 293] (DNA-barcoding).

Cypsilurus oligolepis . Fowler 1949: 58 (listed; Oceania).

Cheilopogon unicolor (non Valenciennes). Gonzales 2013: 40 (listed, photo; Palawan, Philippines).

Cypselurus naresii (non Günther). Tashiro 2017: 65 (in part: KAUM-I.62958; Panay I., Philippines).

Cheilopogon arcticeps (non Günther). Tashiro 2017: 64 (in part: KAUM-I.63030; Panay I., Philippines).

Cheilopogon katoptron (non Bleeker). Tashiro 2017: 65 (in part: UPVMI 345; Panay I., Philippines).

See further bibliography below in accounts for subspecies of C. oligolepis .

Probable misidentifications. Pajot & Prabhakaradu (1993: 2) reported C. oligolepis from Coromandel Coast of India; however, their fish were too large (23–35 cm) for this species. Siu et al. (2017: 257) listed C. oligolepis among the fishes of French Polynesia, but this is probably based on misidentification of some other species (likely C. angusticeps ).

Material examined. Two hundred and ninety-three specimens 11–182 mm SL (see details below in the subspecies descriptions).

Types. See types description in the C. o. oligolepis account.

Description. Meristic and morphometric characters are given in Tables 1–6 and 10. D 10 –13 (usually 11–13), A 7–10 (usually 8–9), P I 12–16 (usually I 13–15), Spred 21–30 (usually 24–26), Str 6½–10½ (usually 8–8½), Sp.br 19–26 (4–8 + 14–19), usually 21–24 (5–7 + 16–18), Vert 38–43 (24–28 + 13–17), usually 40–41 (25–26 + 14–16). Snout short, upper jaw not pointed anteriorly; lower jaw shorter than upper jaw or of equal length (sometimes lower jaw slightly longer). Jaw teeth small to medium (not visible to barely visible with naked eyes), mostly tricuspid and with additional cusps (some fish also with conical teeth). Juveniles <75–100 mm SL with mostly conical teeth. Teeth arranged in 2–5 rows, in juveniles in 1–3 rows. Palatine teeth always present, usually numerous (sparse in juveniles <40–60 mm SL). For further description see subspecies accounts below.

Intraspecific variation. Cypselurus oligolepis is a highly polymorphic, polytypic species. We recognise at least four subspecies within C. oligolepis , which differ in pelvic-fin length, number of dorsal-fin rays, predorsal scales, transverse scales and vertebrae, pigmentation, and other characters (see below).

Comparative remarks. Cypselurus oligolepis differs from C. bosha and C. olpar in longer pelvic and shorter pectoral fins (index lP/lV in juveniles usually <1.80 vs. usually> 1.80, in large fish usually <2.40 vs.> 2.40), fewer vertebrae (Vert.c 13–17, usually 14–16 vs. 16–18) and anal-fin rays (usually ≤ 9 vs. usually 10–11), in pectoral fins pigmentation (in adults dark to 7 th –9 th (but to 9 th –11 th in C. o. persicus) vs. 10 th –13 th ray) and morphology of jaw teeth (in adults mainly tricuspid vs. mainly conical). Cypselurus oligolepis most notably differs from C. poecilopterus , C. simus and C. callopterus in the absence of dark spots on the pectoral fins (however, see below for pigmentation patterns in juveniles of Cypselurus sp. ( poecilopterus ?)).

Cypselurus oligolepis differs from C. starksi in pigmentation of pectoral fins (pigmented usually to 7 th –9 th ray (but to 9 th –11 th in C. o. persicus) vs. to 10 th –13 th ray), and pelvic and anal fins (in C. oligolepis 130–140 mm SL these fins are usually pale vs. pigmented in C. starksi ). Cypselurus oligolepis also has fewer dorsal-fin rays (usually 11–12 vs. usually 13), predorsal (usually 24–28 vs. usually ≥ 28) and transverse (usually ≤ 8½ vs. usually ≥ 9) scales, total (usually ≤ 42 vs. usually ≥ 43) and precaudal (usually ≤ 27 vs. usually 28–29) vertebrae.

Distribution. This species occurs in neritic waters from the Red Sea and Persian Gulf to eastern Australia and Melanesia, and from Macao to northwestern Australia (see details below in the subspecies descriptions).