Discovering unique features of Flying Fish

Flying fish predators include mackerel, tuna, swordfish, and marlin all of which are large fast fish. To escape them, flying fish gather speed and leap from the ocean, gliding into the air so they can’t be grabbed from behind.Unfortunately, once in the air, they are prey to birds. Poor flying fish just can’t win. They feed a lot of other creatures and are an essential part of the ecosystem as a result. Flying Fish is mostly found in the south western Indian seas. This fish can fly a maximum distance of about four hundred metres over the surface of sea water.Their flying ability most likely evolved so they could escape predators.  Flying Fish is a type of fish which during its normal swimming movement in water can occasionally take to aerial flight by jumping into the air and gliding horizontally. The distance thus covered is at times as long as four hundred metres. These fishes occur on both east and west coasts of India, but more on the south-west where they form a fishery in winter months. They belong to the family Exocoetidae. The species are recorded from Indian seas, of which three, Cypselurus altipennis, Exocoetus volitans, and Paraexocoetus brachypterus are common. There are small twenty five centimetres long fish with elongated roundish body and long broad pectoral fins extending up to the tail fin, the lower lobe of which also is elongated and pronounced. In some species the pelvic fin too is enlarged. Being pelagic, they swim usually in the upper strata of water. When they are about to fly, they accelerate their speed for a short distance, then suddenly jerk their head out of water and with powerful vibrations of the caudal portion of their body and the tail fin kick the water surface and become air-borne like a plane, spreading out their large pectoral fins for gliding. The pectoral fins are not flapped like birds' or butterflies' wings but kept distended. Flying fish are attracted to light as many ocean animals are. For thousands of years, fishermen have used light as a lure. A canoe filled with water with a luring light attached is enough to make plenty of flying fish leap into the canoe. Once they’re in, they can’t get enough speed to leap out.Flying fish are a delicacy in up-market restaurants so they are always in demand.