Fish that Fly

Figure 1. Abe's Flying Fish C. abei

Flying is one of those seemingly astounding adaptations leaping (intended) from a lowly terrestrial existence to the sky. This should be the hallmark of human evolution with the pinnacle being a world-controlling sky-people. Alas, that has yet to occur.

This apex of an evolutionary leap was mundane enough to first come about over 400 million years ago by insects in the Devonian period. Terrestrial vertebrates made the leap over 230 million years ago when Pterosaurs took to the sky. Birds, of course, starting 150 million years ago with Archaeopteryx, became the rulers of the sky. Bats followed 100 million years later.

 

Not to be left out, fish, have been giving it a go since before the pterosaurs when Potanichthys xingyiensis took to flying, or at least gliding, in the middle Triassic. These fish are considered the ancestors of some extant flying fish. With such an early beginning its a wonder that fish have not taken over the skies like birds. 

 

Several species of fish can fly or glide above the water’s surface. These species belong primarily to the family Exocoetidae, commonly known as flying fish. 

 

Family: Exocoetidae (Flying Fish):

In this family are ten species: The Atlantic Flying Fish, Cheilopogon melanurus, the Japanese Flying Fish, Cheilopogon spilonotopterus, from their so-named regions. Two species found worldwide in tropical/subtropical waters, the Black-wing Flying Fish, Hirundichthys rondeletiid and the Blue Flying Fish, Exocoetus volitans. A few other species in this genus, Exocoetus, are E. obtusirostris, the Two-wing Flying Fish, and E. monocirrhus, the Tropical Two-wing Flying Fish.

 

Not to be outdone with the number of “wings” The Four-wing Flying Fish, Hirundichthys affinis, has extensive pectoral and pelvic fins. Their eggs adhere to floating objects, which may offer some protection from predators in the open ocean environment. Smallwing Flying Fish, Parexocoetus brachypterus, also has sticky eggs. Despite the name, they are adept gliders and are more maneuverable which allows predator evasion. Finally, there is the beautifully patterned Indo-Pacific Barred Flying Fish, Cypselurus poecilopterus. 

 

The key adaptations that allow these fish to take to the air are the enlarged pectoral fins, which act like wings, and their streamlined body, which minimizes air resistance. The streamlined body is really a pre-adaptation for flying; or exaptation if you will, since it is really is an advantage for swimming. 

 

Flying Fish can reach up to 60 km/h underwater before launching out of the water. Once in the air, they generally slow down quickly. However, they can use their tail fin, swishing in the water, to gain a little more distance. Some flights/glides reach 400 meters.

 


Other fish that take leaps:

Members of the Halfbeak family, Hemiramphidae, often leap from the water. These include the Ballyhoo, Hemiramphus brasiliensis, Black-winged Halfbeak, Hemiramphus far, and Garfish, Hyporhamphus melanochir.  

 

Needlefish and Houndfish, both in the family Belonidae, also leap from the water to avoid predators. These predators are catching prey, often near the surface, and will take to the air when startled. The smaller species, the Needlefish, particularly have the infamous distinction of leaping out of the water into people, sometimes, but rarely, injuring them.

 

A few incidences have been fatal, for example. In 1977, a10-year-old boy in Hawaii died after a needlefish jumped from the water and pierced his eye and brain. A 16-year-old Vietnamese boy was fatally stabbed through the heart by a needlefish while diving in 2007. In 2018 a Thai Navy cadet died after a needlefish struck his neck. More recently, October 2024, a surfer died after being impaled in the upper chest by a Needlefish.

 

 

Fish that don’t fly:

The Flying Gurnards, Family Dacylopteridae, do not fly or glide. Despite the name, and their elaborate pectoral fins that look like wings, they do not take to the air. They do flying motions while under the water, sometimes near the surface, but don’t, as yet, take to the sky. Maybe this is a future leap they will take.

 

Plenty of other fish leap from the water, usually called breaching, including hooked trout, or large ocean game fish. Cartilaginous fish (which are not really fish, see my March 2024 blog) leap from the water, including the Mako Shark and Spinner Shark take to the air at times. Several rays, notably the Eagle Ray, leap from the water as well. They may do this to avoid predators or get rid of parasites. Eagle rays even flap their fins/wings. Does this help they stay aloft longer? Or are they doing this to adjust their trajectory? Several possible reasons exist. See the Klimley references below for more, and other species that take leaps. Maybe Eagle Rays are candidates for evolution finally getting an ocean swimmer to take over the skies, along with their bird and bat brethren.


Some images:

Figure 2. Bandwing Flyingfish, C. exsiliens.

Figure 3. Atlantic Flyingfish, C. melanurus, taking flight.

Figure 4. Two C. poecilopterus, in flight.


Sources and Further Readings:

 

Alfaheed M, Campos S, Gupta J, et al. (January 31, 2023) Stick a Needle in My Eye: A Case Report of Penetrating Needlefish Injury Causing Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis and Carotid Cavernous Fistula. Cureus 15(1): e34453. doi:10.7759/cureus.34453

 

Klimley, A.P., Curtis, T.H., Johnston, E.M. et al. 2024. A review of elasmobranch breaching behavior: why do sharks and rays propel themselves out of the water into the air?. Environmental Biology of Fishes. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-024-01584-5


Thaiger. Freak needle-fish accident kills Thai Navy cadet. https://thethaiger.com/news/pattaya/freak-needle-fish-accident-kills-thai-navy-cadet

Wikipedia. Needlefish. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Needlefish

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

No Chilean Sea Bass Please

Image
I recently saw an article about Pepperidge Farm changing the name of their snack crackers from Goldfish to Chilean Sea Bass. I am no marketing guru, but indeed, what a lousy choice.   They changed the cracker’s name, temporarily (Oct 2024), to appeal to adults, seemingly by using a name concocted to dupe people into eating the  Patagonian Toothfish,  Dissostichus eleginoides.  Also known as, Chilean Sea Bass.    This deep-living species is found at depths between 45 and 3,850 meters (150 and 12,600 feet), typically in cold waters between 1°C and 4°C. These are long-lived fish, reaching maturity from between 11 and 17 years, reaching an old age of more than 50 years.   The currently fishery for the Patagonian Toothfish hauls in 50,000 metric tons of fish a year. Patagonian toothfish typically range from  7 to 15 kilograms (kg)  each, depending on their age and region. So this is, back of the envelope calculation assigning 10 kg per fish, about...
Read more

Flatworm Fiesta

Image
In 2014, a giant discovery was made regarding the terrestrial planarians   Bipalium adventitium   and   B. kewense . Tetrodotoxin, a highly potent neurotoxin, was recorded in these species.  This marked the first instance of tetrodotoxin in terrestrial invertebrates, underscoring the potential danger these species pose. Tetrodotoxin had previously been found in many marine organisms, including the Blue-ringed octopus, and is named after its initial discovery in pufferfish species, which belong to the order Tetraodontiformes. The name of this order is due to the form of the beak, which looks like 4 (tetra), teeth (odont): Formes means shape.   These worms, known as shovel-headed garden worms or hammerhead worms, are predators of other worm species, such as earthworms. A  Bipalium  worm. Specific species are identified by their distinctive coloration, which often features colored bands and blotches. The one pictured here (stolen from thoughtco.com) has a...
Read more

Acadia forests: Everything is changing.

Image
    David Byrne had it wrong; it’s not the same as it ever was. Everything is changing.   The woods of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island are amazing. You can hike from a granite-topped bald hill into the trees and in seconds be enveloped in darkness. If you spend some time hiking around this isle of many trails, you will find differences in the forest. Besides the apparent change from woodlands to bald hill tops, the forested zone has some distinct clusters of tree species. There is the dark woodland of conifers, contrasted by the birch and aspen bunches.    Pre-European forests on Mount Desert Island (MDI) were dominated by the cold-adapted spruce-fir forests (Balsam Fir is typical along the Maine coast): these forests housed spruce grouse, red-backed voles, providing food and cover. The squirrels and chipmunks take advantage of the energy packed in the cone. While many bird species, such as the Blackburnian Warbler, Boreal Chickadee, and wrens, take ...
Read more