Flying fish
| Flying fish Fossil range: Miocene–Recent |
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| Sailfin flying-fish Parexocoetus brachypterus |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Beloniformes |
| Family: | Exocoetidae |
| Genera | |
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Exocoetidae, is a family of marine fish in the order Beloniformes of class Actinopterygii. Fishes of this family are known as flying fish. They comprise about 64 species grouped in seven to nine genera.
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Distribution and description
Flying fish live in all of the oceans, particularly in warm tropical and subtropical waters. Their most striking feature is their pectoral fins,[1] which are unusually large, and enable the fish to hide and escape from predators[2] by leaping out of the water, taking short gliding flights through air just above the water's surface. Their glides are typically around 50 metres (160 ft).[3]
In order to glide upward out of the water, a flying fish moves its tail up to 70 times per second.[4] It then spreads its pectoral fins and tilts them slightly upward to provide lift.[1]
At the end of a glide, it folds its pectoral fins to reenter the sea or drops its tail into the water to push against the water to lift itself for another glide, possibly changing direction.[1][4]
The curved profile of the "wing" has an aerodynamic shape that is comparable to that of a bird wing.[5] The fish is able to increase its time in the air by flying straight into or at an angle to the direction of updrafts created by a combination of air and ocean currents.[1][4]
Genus Exocoetus has one pair of fins and a streamlined body to optimize for speed, while Cypselurus has a flattened body and two pairs of fins which maximizes its time in the air.
Flight measurements
In May 2008, a Japanese television crew (NHK) filmed a flying fish (dubbed "Icarfish") off the coast of Yakushima Island, Japan. The creature spent 45 seconds in flight.[6] The previous record was 42 seconds.[6]
Flying fish can use updrafts at the leading edge of waves to cover distances of at least 400 m (1,300 ft).[3] They can travel at speeds of more than 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph).[4] Maximum altitude is 6 m (20 ft) above the surface of the sea.[5] Some accounts have them landing on ships' decks.[4][7]
Feeding
Exocoetidae feed mainly on plankton. Predators include dolphins, tuna, marlin, birds, squids and porpoises.[4]
Fishery
Flying fish are commercially fished in Japan, Vietnam and Barbados by the method of gillnetting and in Indonesia and India by dipnetting.[4]
In the Solomon Islands they are caught while flying, using nets held from outrigger canoes. They are attracted to the light of torches. Fishing is done only when there is no moonlight.
Importance
Barbados
Historically, the country of Barbados was nicknamed "land of the flying fish". Today it is the official national fish for the country.[8] Once abundant, it migrated between the warm coral-filled Atlantic Ocean surrounding the island of Barbados and the plankton-rich outflows of the Orinoco River in Venezuela.
Just after the completion of the Deep Water Harbor in Bridgetown, Barbados saw an increase of ship visits, linking the island to the world. The overall health of the coral reefs surrounding Barbados suffered due to ship-based pollution. Additionally, Barbadian over-fishing pushed them closer to the Orinoco river delta, no longer returning to Barbados in large numbers. Today, the flying fish only migrate as far north as Tobago, around 120 nautical miles (220 km; 140 mi) southwest of Barbados. Despite the change, flying fish remain a coveted delicacy.
Many aspects of Barbadian culture center around the flying fish: it is depicted on coins, as sculptures in fountains, in artwork, and as part of the official logo of the Barbados Tourism Authority. Additionally, the Barbadian coat of arms features a pelican and dolphin fish on either side of the shield, but the dolphin resembles a flying fish.
Maritime disputes
In recent times, flying fish have also been gaining in popularity in other islands, fueling several maritime disputes. In 2006 the council of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea[9] fixed the maritime boundaries between Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago over the flying fish dispute which gradually raised tensions between the neighbours.[10] The ruling stated that both countries must preserve stocks for the future. Barbadian fishers still follow the flying fish southward. Flying fish remain an important part of Barbados' main national dish[11] which is known as cou-cou and flying fish.[12][13]
Japan
The fish is often preserved by drying. In Japanese cuisine, the roe of Cheilopogon agoo (Japanese flying fish) is used to make some types of sushi, and is known as tobiko.
Taiwan
It is a staple in the diet of the Tao people of Orchid Island.
Models for airplanes
From 1900 to the 1930s, flying fish were studied as possible models used to develop airplanes.[4]
Etymology
The origin of the term Exocoetidae is as follows:
- Greek εξώκοιτος = "lying down outside", "sleeping under the stars", from έξω = "outside" and κείμαι = "I lie down", applied to some flying fishes believed to leave the water to sleep on the shore (Pliny's Natural History, vol. IX, 19). This form is more likely, as shown by the Latin name exocoetus.
Flying fishes have given their name to:
- The Exocet guided missile.[14]
- Three ships of the United States Navy named USS Flying Fish.
- The constellation Volans ("flying", originally "Piscis Volans" = "flying fish").
See also
- Barbados v. Trinidad and Tobago
- Flying and gliding animals
- Neuston
- Tradeoffs for locomotion in air and water
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Fish, F. E. (1990). "Wing design and scaling of flying fish with regard to flight performance" (PDF). Journal of Zoology 221: 391–403. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1990.tb04009.x. http://darwin.wcupa.edu/~biology/fish/pubs/pdf/1990JZWingdesign.pdf.
- ↑ Buller, D. J. (1998). "Etiological theories of function: a geographical survey" (PDF). Biology and Philosophy 13: 505–527. doi:10.1023/A:1006559512367. http://www.niu.edu/phil/~buller/research/etf.pdf.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ross Piper (2007), Extraordinary Animals: An Encyclopedia of Curious and Unusual Animals, Greenwood Press.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Kutschera, U. (2005). "Predator-driven macroevolution in flyingfishes inferred from behavioural studies: historial controversies and a hypothesis" (PDF). Annals of the History and Philosophy of Biology 10: 59–77. http://www.evolutionsbiologen.de/flyingfishes.pdf.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Fish, F. (1991). "On a fin and a prayer" (PDF). Scholars 3 (1): 4–7. http://darwin.wcupa.edu/~biology/fish/pubs/pdf/1991SOnafin.pdf.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Fast flying fish glides by ferry". BBC News. May 20, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7410421.stm. Retrieved May 20, 2008.
- ↑ Joseph Banks (1997). The Endeavour Journal of Sir Joseph Banks 1768-1771. University of Sydney Library. http://setis.library.usyd.edu.au/ozlit/pdf/p00021.pdf. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
- ↑ "Outstanding Barbadians & Cultural Symbols - The Flying Fish". Central Bank of Barbados. http://centralbank.org.bb/WEBCBB.nsf/webpage/96C400BBEED7A84B042572FC0018B1CD?OpenDocument#Flyingfish.
- ↑ "Barbados/Trinidad and Tobago". Permanent Court of Arbitration. April 11, 2006. http://www.pca-cpa.org/showpage.asp?pag_id=1152.
- ↑ "Claims of Caribbean piracy as national symbol takes flight". The Sydney Morning Herald. December 18, 2004. http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Claims-of-Caribbean-piracy-as-national-symbol-takes-flight/2004/12/17/1102787277205.html.
- ↑ Flying fish of Barbados :: Gowealthy.com
- ↑ "Editorial: Our Fisheries — rights and duties". Trinidad and Tobago Express. June 25, 2006. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article?id=160973250.
- ↑ "Tribunal reaches decision in the marine dispute between Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados". Trinidad and Tobago Express. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article?id=150421244.
- ↑ Guillot, Jean; Estival, Bernard (1988). L’extraordinaire aventure de l’Exocet. Les éditions de la Cité. ISBN 2851860399. The missile's name was given by M. Guillot, then technical director at Nord Aviation, after the French name for flying fishes.
External links
- May 2008 video of 45 second flight
- Fishbase entry for flyingfish
- Explanation
- Pictures
- Flying Fish, National Geographic Society
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