Have you ever seen a fish jump out of the ocean? Flying fish (Metazooa answer #386) are a family of saltwater ray-finned fish that can propel themselves out of water at speeds of more than 55 km/hour. They aren’t capable of powered flight the same way birds are, but once they break through the surface of the water they use their fins to glide for up to 200 metres. Flying fish wings are curved similarly to bird wings, so they can catch updrafts to keep themselves aloft for longer. Their bodies are streamlined to reduce drag while flying, and their fins stay flat at their sides when underwater. Powerful tail fins allow them to reach top speeds to break through the water’s surface tension.

The Guinness World Record for longest flight completed by a flying fish is 45 seconds. That’s nearly four times longer than the first Wright brothers flight! The flight was captured on video by a film crew from Japan in May 2008. Flying fish have to be good at holding their breath in flight, because they aren’t capable of breathing out of water.

Flying fish fly to escape predators such as tuna, swordfish and mackerel, but flying can make them vulnerable to avian predators. They are attracted to light, a feature that fishermen take advantage of by luring them into fishing traps and boats with bright lights at night. 

If you’d like to see fish take to the skies, catch a flight to Barbados, where flying fish are so common they are one of the country’s national symbols. They are also consumed there as a national delicacy.

Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/flying-fish

Monday, August 19 to Sunday, August 25.

The following are the shortest paths from last week:

Play Forgeous for Aug 26.