Abstract. Indrayani I, Findra MN, Jufri A, Hidayat H, Pariakan A. 2021. Genetic variations of Cheilopogon nigricans in the Makassar Strait, Indonesia. Indo Pac J Ocean Life 5: 22-28. This study reports DNA Barcoding results (sequencing of cox 1 mitochondrial gene fragments) of four Makassar Strait flying fish species belonging to the Exocoetidae family. Sampling was collected from around the Makassar Strait waters in West Sulawesi. This research was carried out by molecular identification using DNA barcoding of the cytochrome oxidase 1 (COI) gene, the Wizard Promega CO1 primer kit. The molecular identification results showed that the collected fish had 100% and 99.10% genetic similarities with the species Cheilopogon nigricans from the South China Sea. The genetic variations of flying fish in the Makassar Strait are in the same group as flying fish originating from the South China Sea.