Discover the Sky-Soaring Secrets: Top 12 Fun Facts About Flying Fish You Never Knew

1. Water Rocket Acrobats

Winged water rockets with a penchant for acrobatics: flying fish can't keep up the high-flying act for too long. They burst out of the water at breakneck speeds of 35mph, majestically gliding up to 650 feet with a little help from their trusty pectoral fins, and for some, their bonus pelvic fins too.
Source => nwf.org

2. Redefining Fish Out of Water

Whoever said "birds of a feather flock together" definitely hadn't met the flying fish! These high-flying piscatorial daredevils swap skydiving for sea-diving and redefine what it means to be a fish out of water: Using their wing-like fins, flying fish can glide above the water's surface for around 50 meters, and with a little help from updrafts in ocean currents, these adventurous marine acrobats can sail through the air for up to 400 meters!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

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=> Fun Facts about Swordfish

3. Zooming Aquatic Aviators

These intrepid marine aviators leave no fin unturned in their quest to defy gravity and conquer the skies (temporarily, at least): Flying fish can zoom through the air at over 70 km/h, gliding impressive 400-meter distances, thanks to their rigid skeletons, wing-like fins, and a knack for harnessing the winds coming off waves.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Red Bull's Rival: Real Wings

Forget Red Bull, flying fish have the real wings: Possessing winglike pelvic fins, these unique four-winged fish soar in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, often drawn to light and making it a cinch for fishermen to catch these literal flashlights in the deep blue sky-water!
Source => nwf.org

5. Joining the Mile-High Club, Fish Style

Imagine a fish joining the mile-high club - without a plane! These extraordinary creatures take "swimming to new heights" quite literally: Flying fish can launch themselves out of the water at speeds of 3 feet per second and rapidly flap their tails 70 times a second, then spread their fins and glide through the air covering distances of up to 650 feet - making them one of the few aquatic animals with avian aspirations.
Source => a-z-animals.com

6. Aerodynamic Aqua Ninjas

Aerodynamic aqua ninjas, soaring the skies like avian wannabes: Flying fish can reach speeds up to 70 km/h (43 mph), stay airborne for 45 seconds, and escape from underwater predators thanks to their wing-like fins and evolutionary body features.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Uneven Tails: The Ultimate Speed Hack

Not your average tail-ter: These flying fish have truly embraced the motto of "go big or go home" when it comes to their tails! With a fashionable forked tail that's unevenly designed, these fish can easily catwalk away from predators in the most fabulous way possible: Boasting a shorter top lobe and a lengthier bottom lobe, their uniquely asymmetrical tail grants them the gift of speed, whether in the water or taking to the skies.
Source => nwf.org

8. Pioneers of Piscine Panache

These little fish are truly making a splash in the world of aviation, gliding through the skies like pioneers of piscine panache: Flying fish can glide through the air for up to 45 seconds, covering a whopping 1,300 feet and reaching heights of 20 feet above the water's surface, all in the name of food-finding and predator evasion.
Source => nationalgeographic.com

9. Cirque du Soleil: Flying Fish Edition

If fish had an audition for Cirque du Soleil, flying fish would take center stage with their aerial acrobatics and daredevil leaps: These fascinating aquatic performers can cover a distance of up to 200 meters in a single jump, reaching speeds of over 35 mph (56 km/h) mid-air, while still maintaining a respectable swimming speed of 15-20 mph (24-32 km/h) on their water-based stages.
Source => alchemy.gr

10. Clever Crafty Flying Fish Eggs

When flying fish aren't busy auditioning for a "Fish Air" talent show, they're getting crafty with their eggs: The hirundine flying fish lay their eggs in hefty masses, ensuring they sink by taking cues from floating objects, which let them remain buoyant on the surface. The eggs attach to each other using lengthy filaments and, once their yolk sacs are consumed, surprise! The larvae turn into micro-monster munchers, feasting on ciliate protozoans.
Source => publish.csiro.au

11. Caribbean Arawak's Sky-Soaring Charm

If you think the flying fish is just trying to impress its friends with its aerial acrobatics, you'd be sorely mistaken: in Caribbean Arawak legend, witnessing the soaring Komoruni fish ensures a safe journey, and its iron amulets can be found near Poui tree shrines, believed to cleanse them of bad energy under the tree's falling flowers.
Source => museumofthewestindies.org

12. Nature's Frequent Flyer Club

Who needs a plane when you're a fish with a ticket to glide? Introducing nature's own frequent flyer club: The four-winged flying fish boasts not one, but two pairs of wing-like fins, using both their pelvic fins as well as their pectoral fins to skillfully soar through the air for great distances. Buckle up, humans!
Source => nwf.org