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| Flyingfishes
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Sailfin flyingfish (Parexocoetus brachypterus) | ||||||||||
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Cheilopogon Cypselurus Danichthys Exocoetus Fodiator Hirundichthys Oxyporhamphus Parexocoetus Prognichthys |
The Execoetidae or flyingfishes are a marine fish family comprising about 70 species grouped in 7 to 9 genera.
Flyingfish are found in all the major oceans. Their most striking feature is their pectoral fins, which are unusually large, and enable the fish to take short gliding flights. Flyingfish use this ability to escape predators (they can't see beyond the water's surface). In some species the pelvic fins are also unusually large, so the fish appears to have four wings. The caudal fin is usually deeply forked, with the upper lobe shorter than the lower. The eyes are flatter than normal fish eyes in order to see above the surface. Flyingfish eat plankton.
Most species reach a maximum length of 30cm, though a few may be as long as 45cm. In gliding, flyingfish can almost double their speed, reaching speeds up to 60 km/h.
The Exocet guided missile is presumably named after these fish.