Flying Fish: Types, Pictures, & Fun Facts
Table of Contents
Flying Fish: All You Need To Know
The flying fish is a ray-finned omnivorous fish that belongs to the Animalia family, phylum Chordata, class Actinopterygii, order Beloniformes, and family Exocoetidae. The flying fish ranges in size from up to 6 to 20 inches in length, and weighs up to 2 pounds, with a lifetime of up to 5 years.
Flying fish are saltwater fish that eat plankton, crustaceans, and fish. The most distinguishing characteristic is the wing-like fins. Flying fish are preyed upon by marlins, tuna, squid, porpoises, birds, and humans.
Physical characteristics include blue, black, white, and silver colours, with scales on the skin.
The flying fish, sometimes known as the flying cod, is a ray-finned marine fish found in warm, tropical areas all over the world. It possesses a unique feature that makes it distinct from all other fish on the planet: its pectoral fins have been changed into “wings” that allow it to leap out of the water and glide up to 650 feet above the surface.
In vast schools, they cruise the oceans together. When they come upon a predator, the wings assist them in fleeing quickly. It has been shown that certain flying fish can fly for up to 12 hours in a row. This family of fish is quite common around the world, with just a few endangered species.
Five Incredible Flying Fish Facts!
1. While the majority of these fish have two “wings,” some have as many as four. Their pelvic and pectoral fins are both wing-shaped.
2. These fish appear to be drawn to light sources for some unexplained reason. Fishermen will utilise this information to catch massive amounts of flying fish at once.
3. The fish swim at a speed of 3 feet per second toward the water’s surface. They beat their tails roughly 70 times per second and keep their fins close to their body to launch themselves into flight. They stretch their wings and begin to glide as soon as they break the surface of the water.
4. Depending on the availability of food, some of these fish move hundreds of kilometres during the year. Climate change, on the other hand, may be affecting their migratory patterns.
5. The current flying fish developed 66 million years ago, according to the fossil record. However, a different group of prehistoric flying fish may have developed more than 200 million years ago.
Flying Fish Classification and Scientific Name
Exocoetidae is the scientific name for the ray fin flying fish family. This is the result of combining two Latin phrases that essentially translate to “sleeping outside.” The name comes from an early sailor’s belief that these fish returned to the beach at night to sleep. These fish, along with needlefish and ricefish, are members of the Beloniformes order.
Various Flying Fish Species
There are around 40 species of flying fish in the family, which are divided into seven genera. Here’s a quick rundown of a handful of them.
• Blue Flying Fish: Also known as the tropical two-wing flying fish, this species may be found in the tropical Atlantic and Pacific seas. The upper half of the body is an iridescent blue, with a silvery-white stomach.
• Black Wing Flying Fish: This species may be found in much of the tropical Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The upper part is dark blue, nearly purple, and contrasts nicely with the white lower half.
• Four-wing Flying Fish: This species has four “wings” instead of two, as the name indicates. Commercial rights for the four-winged flying fish were a point of contention between Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago, both in the Caribbean.
Flying Fish Appearance
The flying fish resembles a sardine, although not quite as much as a cod. It has a long, torpedo-shaped body with blue or silvery scales and a forked tail that is vertically forked.
The wing-shaped pectoral fins near the head, which allow them to glide through the air, are by far the most noticeable characteristic. A second set of “wings” exists in some species, which are really modified pelvic fins.
The medium-sized fish can grow to be between 6 and 20 inches long, but never more than 2 pounds.
Flying Fish Distribution, Population, and Habitat
These fish may be found up to a depth of 650 feet in the world’s three major oceans (the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian). Tropical and subtropical seas are home to the majority of species.
They are extremely rare in the north, where the lower temperatures appear to obstruct the muscle function required to glide through the air. The flying fish is so widespread in the Caribbean that it has been designated as Barbados’ national symbol.
Despite their popularity in the commercial fishing business, their population appears to be relatively high and constant. Almost all species are classed as least concern on the IUCN Red List. Only a handful are at risk.
Flying Fish Predators and Prey
In many tropical marine habitats across the world, these fish form an important element of the food chain. They get nutrients from smaller prey and pass them on to bigger predators higher up the food chain.
Marlins, tuna, squid, porpoises, birds, and people all eat these fish. These fish are omnivores, meaning they eat everything. Plankton makes up the majority of its food, but it also eats tiny crustaceans and fish on occasion.
Flying Fish Reproduction and Lifespan
Every year, millions of these fish will assemble during the spawning season. This happens near the open ocean’s surface. Hundreds of eggs will be released into the water by the female for the male to fertilise (these eggs can be consumed by people as edible roe).
She’ll then use a sticky filament to attach her fertilised eggs to a piece of seaweed or floating trash. The fish are born with whiskers around their mouths to help them blend in with the plants after a few days.
They are essentially on their own from the minute they are born, and many will perish as a result of predators. When they reach around 2 inches in length, they get the ability to fly. These fish have an average lifetime of around five years.
Flying Fish Fishing and Cooking
These fish are highly regarded as a delectable entrée. It is caught commercially on a vast scale in Asia, the Pacific, and sections of the Caribbean. Gillnetting (vertical nets suspended from a line) and dipnetting are the most frequent ways of fishing (a large scoop held in place by a hoop).
The fish is cooked, steamed, and even sushi-styled. They’re served with cou-cou, Barbados’ national cuisine, which is made of cornmeal and okra. In other places, roe is also considered a delicacy. The flying fish is said to have a solid, flavorful flavour by many individuals.
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