
Largescale Flyingfish
Cypselurus oligolepis
- Usual depth0–120 m
- Water temperature14–30 °C
- Best monthsJanuary, April, and May
- How commonRare
Photo credit: (c) Forest Botial-Jarvis, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 10 records
- February: 9 records
- March: 8 records
- April: 11 records
- May: 10 records
- June: 6 records
- July: 4 records
- August: 7 records
- September: 6 records
- October: 5 records
- November: 3 records
- December: 9 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 0–120 m · Deepest record: 4,754.9 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 14–30 °C
Photos

(c) Paulmathi Vinod, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Largescale Flyingfish
Names in 4 more languages
- Spanish
- volador escamudo
- Filipino
- Iliw, Lawin
- French
- Exocet à grandes écailles
- Simplified Chinese
- 寡鱗斑鰭飛魚, 寡鱗飛魚, 少鱗燕鰩魚, 飛烏
Other scientific names: Cyselorus oligolepis, Cyselurus oligolepis, Exocoetus apus, Exocoetus brachysoma, Exocoetus oligolepis
Similar species
Spotted Flying-fishCypselurus poecilopterus
- Pharao flyingfish
Cypselurus naresii
- Black-finned Flyingfish
Cypselurus opisthopus
- Barbel flyingfish
Exocoetus monocirrhus
- Flying fish
Exocoetus volitans
- Mirrorwing flyingfish
Hirundichthys speculiger
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 246 open-data records from 1866 to 2011.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
Log what you see on your next dive
The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.