Flying Fish
Flying fish are easily identified by their huge “flying fins” and their lopsided tails. They are capable of jumping out of the water and gliding through the air over large distances. Two-winged flying fish have extremely large pectoral fins that they spread out like wings when they are on their gliding flights. In addition to huge pectoral fins, four-winged flying fish also have enlarged pelvic fins that are used for gliding.
Flying fish have deeply forked tails and the lower lobe of the tail is longer and larger than the upper lobe. When preparing for flight, flying fish swim quickly towards the water’s surface and leap out of the water. Once they are out of the water, the fish use their large wing-like fins and the large lower lobe of their tail to glide smoothly through the air. The enlarged lower lobe of the tail acts like an outboard motor, the speedy sideways motion of the tail allows the fish to gain height from the surface of the water, and extend the flight time. Fish can glide as far as 100 metres and as high as one metre above the surface of the water, but most flights are shorter then that.
There are over 50 species of flying fishes that belong to the Family Exocoetidae. They are mostly marine fishes of small to medium size. The largest flying fish can reach lengths of 45 cms, but most species measure less than 30 cms in length. Young fish look quite different from the adults; they have a colour pattern that varies and a large pair of flaplike whiskers. The whiskers extend downward from the end of the lower jaw, and may be longer than the fish themselves. The whiskers will disappear as the fish grow and will be gone by the time they are adults.
High-speed photographic studies have shown scientists that flying fish hold their enlarged pectoral fins relatively steady, and glide through the air in a manner that is similar to other gliding animals like flying squirrels, lizards, and snakes. Flying fish use their unusual flying talent to escape predators such as swordfish, tunas, and other larger fishes. The main food that they eat are small crustaceans and other planktonic animals.