Definition and General Information
Flying Fish has been a species of fish that has attracted the attention of scientists for years. Because they are one of the most interesting groups that show how species try to escape from the aquatic environment to get rid of predators, and how adaptations can be developed over generations in this process. Flying fish, as you can see from their names, are fish that have the ability to fly apart from swimming. Of course, this flight is not a real flight like birds. Flying fish are mullet-like in their body shape. The largest and best known species in terms of structure is the California flying fish with a length of 45 cm.
Where Do They Live?
Flying fish with many species live in the open seas. They occur in tropical and subtropical regions with warm maritime climates, such as the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Mediterranean. Flying fish are rarely seen in the Marmara and Mediterranean regions in our country.
How Do They Fly?
As a result of research on flying fish, the biggest factor in their flight is their V-shaped tail. In order to rise from the water surface, they flap their tails 70 times per second, and after jumping to a certain height, they glide by opening their lateral fins. With the parachute effect shown by their wing-shaped fins, they advance over the sea for a while and land again in the sea. Hence the expression "flying fish" is incorrect; because these fish cannot fly, they glide. Some of these fish, which can rise between 2 and 5 meters above the sea, can travel up to 300 meters in the air. The longest recorded glide was a 45-second glide by a flying fish around the Yakushima Islands in Japan. During this glide, the fish in question moved 400 meters away at a speed of 70 kilometers per hour. The highest recorded flight is 6 meters. Unlike the others, in four-winged flying fish species, abdominal fins are also developed.
Why Do They Fly?
Flying fish that travel in flocks usually jump out of the water when they encounter a life-threatening danger. So for them, flying is lifesaving. Although flying fish use their ability to fly as a life saver, they can become food for seagulls during this flight. Some flying fish, on the other hand, fall on the hull of the ships or die by crashing into the ships.
What Do Flying Fish Eat?
Because these creatures are toothless, they feed on marine plants and plankton. Flying fish are preyed upon by dolphins, tuna, birds, and cuttlefish.
Evolution of Flying Fish
The earliest fossil records of gliding fish date back to 240 million years ago and belong to the species Potanichthys xingyiensis . However, investigations show that this fossil is not related to modern flying fish, and that the ability to glide evolved independently in the genus Potanichthys . It is known that the Exocoetidae family, today's flying fish, first evolved 66 million years ago.
Pectoral lateral fins differentiated and gained a wing-like feature. Thanks to their winged fins, flying fish that leap out of the water can stay in the air for different times depending on their species. The anatomical structure of winged fins similar to those of other fish is one of the best examples of evolution.
Interaction with People and Cultural References
Flying fish are hunted and consumed by humans, especially in Japan, Vietnam, China, India and Indonesia. They are used to make a dish called "dashi" in Japanese cuisine.
Also, an anti-ship missile called Exocet was inspired by flying fish. These missiles fly very close to the water surface, almost by licking the water surface, and reach their targets.
