Flying fish
Flying fish do not fly by flapping wings, like birds do. They have fins that look like wings. They stick their fins out to glide in the air. |
We can glide too!
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By David Starr Jordan and Barton Warren Evermann [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
To jump out of the sea they need to swim fast. Their thin, pointy shape helps them to go fast.
Before a flying fish can glide in the air, it needs to keep moving on top of the water. It keeps moving by swinging its tail left and right under the water.
It then takes to the air. It can glide for about 200 metres - that's the length of 2 football pitches.
Flying fish have many underwater predators such as dorado.
Dorado
When they glide in the air they must avoid new predators. These are seabirds such as the frigate bird (say frig-ert bird).
Frigate bird