Type: Fish
Diet: Omnivore
Size: Up to 18 in (45 cm)
Group name: School
Did you know? Flying fish can soar high enough that sailors often find them on the decks of their ships.
Flying fish can be seen jumping out of warm ocean waters worldwide. Their streamlined torpedo shape helps them gather enough underwater speed to break the surface, and their large, wing-like pectoral fins get them airborne.
Flying Fish video.
What does a Flying Fish look like?
They average 7 to 12 in. (17.5-30 cm) in length and have pectoral fins that compare in size with the wings of birds; in some species the pelvic fins also are enlarged.
Where do Flying Fish live?
Most flying fish live in tropical and subtropical areas of the ocean, but some range as far north as Maine.
What does a Flying Fish eat?
Flying fish are thought to have evolved this remarkable gliding ability to escape predators, of which they have many. Their pursuers include mackerel, tuna, swordfish, marlin, and other larger fish. For their sustenance, flying fish feed on a variety of foods, including plankton.
How many types of flying fish are there?
There are about 40 known species of flying fish. Beyond their useful pectoral fins, all have unevenly forked tails, with the lower lobe longer than the upper lobe. Many species have enlarged pelvic fins as well and are known as four-winged flying fish.
How does a flying fish fly?
The process of taking flight, or gliding, begins by gaining great velocity underwater, about 37 miles (60 kilometers) per hour. Angling upward, the four-winged flying fish breaks the surface and begins to taxi by rapidly beating its tail while it is still beneath the surface. It then takes to the air, sometimes reaching heights over 4 feet (1.2 meters) and gliding long distances, up to 655 feet (200 meters). Once it nears the surface again, it can flap its tail and taxi without fully returning to the water. Capable of continuing its flight in such a manner, flying fish have been recorded stretching out their flights with consecutive glides spanning distances up to 1,312 feet (400 meters).
What is the weakness of the flying fish?
Flying fish are attracted to light, like a number of sea creatures, and fishermen take advantage of this with substantial results. Canoes, filled with enough water to sustain fish, but not enough to allow them to propel themselves out, are affixed with a luring light at night to capture flying fish by the dozens. There is currently no protection status on these animals.
Flying Fish images
Flying Fish Wallpapers
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Flying Fish Coloring pages
Print free Flying Fish coloring pages, click on the image to open the large version.
Flying fish can be seen jumping out of warm ocean waters worldwide. Their streamlined torpedo shape helps them gather enough underwater speed to break the surface, and their large, wing-like pectoral fins get them airborne. 
