Why can flying fish fly?

Flying fish is a general term for about 40 species of marine fishes of the family Euphorbiidae. They have peculiar appearance and well-developed pectoral fins. Like birds' wings, they are famous for being able to fly, so they are called flying fish, but they don't fly. They feel like they are flapping their winglike fins. In fact, they just glide and are widely distributed in warm waters all over the world. Let's take a look at why flying fish can fly.

Can flying fish really fly?

Flying fish can not fly, and whenever it is ready to leave the water, it must swim at high speed in the water, with its pectoral fins close to the sides of its body, rising steadily like a submarine. The flying fish slaps the water hard with its tail, and the whole body shoots into the air like an arrow off the chord. After leaping out of the water, it opens its long, bright pectoral and ventral fins and glides forward quickly. The "wings" do not flap. It relies on the driving force of the tail to make a short "flight" in the air.

Why can flying fish fly?

Flying fish are the prey of sharks, flower dolphins, tuna, swordfish and other ferocious fish. In the long-term survival competition, flying fish have formed a very ingenious skill to escape from the enemy-leaping into the water and flying, which can temporarily leave dangerous sea areas. but flying fish, a special method of "self-defense", is not absolutely reliable. Although flying fish flying at sea have escaped the attack of enemies in the sea, they often become seabirds waiting for rabbits on the sea surface, such as the "food in the mouth" of "frigate birds". This is how flying fish jump out of the water and get into the sea to escape enemies in the sea or in the air.

The living habits of flying fish

Flying fish live in tropical, subtropical and temperate oceans, and their flying posture can be seen in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. some species have seasonal offshore migration habits and form fishing seasons. Flying fish do not jump out of the water easily, and only use this ability whenever they are attacked by enemies or stimulated by the shock of ship engines, but this trick is not absolutely safe. Sometimes when it is flying in the air, it is often caught by seabirds flying in the air, or lands on an island, or hits a reef and dies.