Submitted by Michael Frankfort @mfrank_76
Please click HERE for a link to the full information page from The National Wildlife Federation
Flying fish, belonging to the family Exocoetidae, are known for their ability to glide above water using their highly modified pectoral fins. They can reach speeds over 35 miles per hour and glide up to 650 feet. These fish have streamlined bodies and unevenly forked tails, with the top lobe shorter than the bottom.
There are about 40 species of flying fish, found in tropical and temperate oceans worldwide. They evolved this gliding mechanism to escape predators, though they sometimes fall prey to birds. Flying fish primarily eat plankton and small crustaceans.
They spawn near the ocean’s surface, with eggs attaching to seaweed and debris. Newly hatched fish have whiskers that camouflage them as plants. Flying fish live for about five years and are commercially fished in some areas. Some species have additional winglike pelvic fins, earning them the name “four-winged flying fish.” Their populations are stable, and they are known to leap into well-lit boats, making them easy to catch.