With the great biodiversity that the marine environment is home to. It was no wonder that it offered us something as curious as a Flying fish that can fly over the waters of seas and oceans. This fish gets out of the water and flies, or is it just a myth? Hence the name they receive as flying fish. It is very curious for humans to know.
Are you interested in discovering these unique fish called exocetes ( Exocoteidae )? If so, delve into this article we propose to you from EcologíaVerde. We detail everything about this fish in this article.
What are flying fishes, and where do they live
Belonging to the family of exoceteid fish ( Exocoteidae ), there are currently about 70 species of flying fish. These fish hover in the warm waters of seas and oceans worldwide.
These fishes are thought to have evolved particular morphological characteristics that have allowed them to acquire the ability to glide and escape from their numerous predators, such as tuna, mackerel, swordfish, and other large fish.
As for their morphology, this fish measures an average of between 17 and 30 centimeters, and their body shape is notable in the form of an aerodynamic torpedo, which allows them to reach high speeds.
Generally, two types of flying fish are distinguished depending on the development of their beautiful fins.
Two-winged flying fish
There are species with very large and developed pectoral fins.
Four-winged flying fish are
characterized by having two pectoral fins and two very enlarged and long pelvic fins.
These fish usually keep their long fins folded along their bodies while swimming. They all have an irregularly forked-like-looking tail with the lower lobe. These fish have flat eyes, which help them see out of the water.
Flying fish living and characteristic
Due to their characteristics, flying fish live at shallow depths, near the surface, and in waters far from the coast. However, these species are found in various regions. They are typical of temperate and warm waters, found mainly in tropical and subtropical waters, especially in areas of the Caribbean.
These fishes are mostly found in the Atlantic Ocean, in the Pacific, and in the Indian Oceans. They are species of the open ocean. They can feed on various foods, with plankton being the main component of the diet.
Before going any further into these curious species, we encourage you to learn more about fish with these other articles about the Classification of fish and How fish breathe.
Another characteristic of this fish is that, although they can glide over water and spend some time in the air. You will think they breathe in the air, but that’s not true. They breathe in the water like other fish.
Flying fish species are given here and grouped into seven genera.
Cheilopogon (Lowe, 1841).
Cypselurus (Swainson, 1838).
Exocoetus (Linnaeus, 1758).
Fodiator (Jordan and Meek, 1885).
Hirundichthys (Breder, 1928).
Parexocoetus (Bleeker, 1866).
Prognichthys (Breder, 1928).
Within these genera, the most common species of this fish is Exocoetus volitans (or tropical flying fish). With a length of up to 50 cm, this species usually frequents Also common are
- Cypselurus furcatus (or Atlantic and Latin American spotted flying fish).
- Cypselurus californicus (or the great flying fish).
- Fodiator acutus (or billfish flying fish).
- Cypselurus cyanopterus (or Caribbean guinea pig).
- Danichtyhys rondeletii (or tern).
- Hirundichthys affinis (or West Indian fish).
If you want to classify this fish as having wings, it is flying. So, the species of this fish are given below.
Two-winged flyingfishes are
species of swordfish, common dolphinfish, and tunas, billfishes.
Four-winged flying fishes are
Cheilopogon exiles (urañola), one of the species with the largest fins, reaching the entire length of its body, Cypselurus heterurus (Guardiola), Cypselurus californicus and Exocoetus lineatus (arañola). This beautiful fish species can be found in the waters of Spain. you will see a lot of fish in Spain.
We know several characteristics of these aquatic animals. We are going to comment on some other curiosities about flying fish.
How do flying fish fly?
Despite their name, flying fish do not fly. Rather, they glide through the air after propelling themselves out of the water at full speed. The gliding process is complex, given their size, and is not limited to a simple jump out of the water.
Heading towards the surface, flying fish propel themselves out of the water and spread their fins like wings. They break through the water’s surface while flapping their tails while still in the water to give them momentum. This movement can be seen in the image below.
How many meters can a fish fly?
Once in the air, they can reach a height of one meter or more. And glide distances of up to 200 meters at 16 kilometers per hour. This is a considerable distance that they do not have wings. They do so by flapping their tail fin more than 50 times per second.
They approach the surface again; this fish can beat their tail to continue flying without returning completely to the water and can extend their flight distances of up to 400 meters thanks to these successive glides.
How long can flying fish fly?
This is a common question when we learn that they are fish that can fly. They need to be in the water to breathe. This is a disadvantage for them. The truth is that it has been seen that they can glide for up to 45 seconds. This is very shocking.