smallwing flyingfish
Oxyporhamphus micropterus (Valenciennes, 1847)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Oxyporhamphus micropterus, the bigwing halfbeak, is a species of halfbeak found in the tropical oceans. Halfbeaks (Hemiramphidae) are small ray-finned fish that are closely related to flying fish (Exocoetidae), and the two families share many physical characteristics, including wing-like pectoral fins. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific region, where it is a pelagic, open-ocean species. Achille Valenciennes first described this species in 1847, naming it Exocoetus micropterus. He found the first known specimen in King George Sound, Western Australia.
Wikipedia contributors, Oxyporhamphus micropterus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:47:31.861322+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Oxyporhamphus micropterus (Valenciennes, 1847)
- Name authority
- (Valenciennes, 1847)
- Common name
- smallwing flyingfish
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Beloniformes
- Family
- Hemiramphidae
- Genus
- Oxyporhamphus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderBeloniformes
- familyHemiramphidae Gill, 1859
- genusOxyporhamphus Gill, 1864
- speciesOxyporhamphus micropterus (Valenciennes, 1847)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Oxyporhamphus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Oxyporhamphus similis Bruun, 1935 | HemiramphidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Exocoetus micropterus Valenciennes, 1847 Valenciennes, 1847 | synonym |
| Hemiramphus argenteus Bennett, 1840 Bennett, 1840 | synonym |
| Oxyporhamphus micropterus micropterus (Valenciennes, 1847) (Valenciennes, 1847) | synonym |
| Evolantia micropterus (Valenciennes, 1847) (Valenciennes, 1847) | synonym |
| Hemiramphus cuspidatus Valenciennes, 1847 Valenciennes, 1847 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=217871 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4BJDC. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.