[9] The dorsal fins of juveniles are often unevenly pigmented, and they tend to have short mandibular barbels on their chins which are sensory organs used to sense their surroundings.

Young Atlantic flyingfish up to 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) can have transparent pectorals and often swim in harbors or bays.

Atlantic flyingfish rarely occur outside of these coastal waters and show a strong preference for shallow areas.

[5] Consistently, C. melanurus tends to live in warm tropical waters and generally does not go further than about 640 kilometers (400 miles) away from the shoreline.

[7] After reaching a speed of 30 kilometers/hour (19 mph),[10]:124  Atlantic flyingfish can jump out of the water and glide about three to 12 meters (10 to 40 feet) [10]:32 .

[22] When it comes to diet, the Atlantic flyingfish primarily consumes zooplankton using its gill rakers and surface feeding techniques.

[17] The spawning season of the Atlantic flyingfish is believed to be from June to August throughout the summer, although there have been documented gravid females as early as March.

[4] During spawning, Atlantic flyingfish tend to mate in large groups near the surface of the water.

[11] In regions such as the Gulf of Guinea, the Atlantic flyingfish provides high economic value for artisanal fleet fishing.

[9] In a study by Zacarias et al. in São Tomé and Príncipe, researchers found C. melanurus to be the most important small-scale fishing catch with the highest occurrence rate in comparison to eight other local species.

Research also indicates that C. melanurus is often highly targeted by Liberian fishermen due to their pelagic nature, making them an accessible resource to locals.