Flying Fish

ocean · incredible escape artists · gliders

Not True Flying. Flying fish don't actually flap their fins to fly like birds do. Instead, they use their long, wing-like fins to catch air and glide, kind of like a paper airplane soaring through the sky.

Super Speedy Escape. Flying fish zoom out of the water at incredible speeds to get away from hungry predators like tuna, marlin, and swordfish that hunt them underwater.

Wings Made of Fins. Their paired fins act just like airplane wings, creating lift to help them stay in the air for long distances above the water surface.

Danger from Above. While flying fish escape underwater hunters by leaping into the air, they face a new threat from aerial predators like frigatebirds that hunt from above.

Diverse Fish Family. There are about 64 different species of flying fish divided into seven groups, and they all live in saltwater oceans around the world.