Flying fish
Flying fish Temporal range:
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Sailfin flying-fish, Parexocoetus brachypterus
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Beloniformes |
Suborder: | Exocoetoidei |
Superfamily: | Exocoetoidea |
Family: | Exocoetidae Risso, 1827[2] |
Genera | |
See text |
The Exocoetidae are a
Barbados is known as "the land of the flying fish" and the fish is one of the national symbols of the country. The Exocet missile is named after them, as variants are launched from underwater, and take a low trajectory, skimming the surface, before striking their targets.
Etymology
The term Exocoetidae is both the scientific name and the general name in Latin for a flying fish. The suffix -idae, common for indicating a family, follows the root of the Latin word exocoetus, a transliteration of the Ancient Greek name ἐξώκοιτος. This means literally 'sleeping outside', from ἔξω, 'outside', and κοῖτος, 'bed', 'resting place', with the verb root κει-, 'to lie down' (not 'untruth'),[7] so named as flying fish were believed to leave the water to sleep ashore,[8] or due to flying fish flying and thus stranding themselves in boats.
Taxonomy
The Exocoetidae is divided into four subfamilies and seven genera:[2][9][10]
- Subfamily Exocoetinae (Risso, 1827)
- Subfamily Fodiatorinae (Fowler, 1925)
- Genus Fodiator (D.S. Jordan & Meek, 1885)
- Subfamily Parexocoetinae (Bruun, 1935)
- Genus Parexocoetus (Bleeker, 1865)
- Subfamily Cypsellurinae (Hubbs, 1933)
- Genus Cheilopogon (Lowe, 1841)
- Genus Cypselurus (Swainson, 1838)
- Genus Hirundichthys (Breder, 1928)
- Genus Prognichthys (Breder, 1928)
Distribution and description
Flying fish live in all of the
Numerous morphological features give flying fish the ability to leap above the surface of the ocean. One such feature is fully broadened
Species of genus Exocoetus have one pair of fins and streamlined bodies to optimize for speed, while Cypselurus spp. have flattened bodies and two pairs of fins, which maximize their time in the air. From 1900 to the 1930s, flying fish were studied as possible models used to develop airplanes.[15]
The Exocoetidae feed mainly on plankton. Predators include dolphins, tuna, marlin, birds, squid, and porpoises.[15]
Flight measurements
In May 2008, a Japanese television crew (
The flights of flying fish are typically around 50 m (160 ft),[18] though they can use updrafts at the leading edge of waves to cover distances up to 400 m (1,300 ft).[18][19] They can travel at speeds of more than 70 km/h (43 mph).[15] Maximum altitude is 6 m (20 ft) above the surface of the sea.[16] Flying fish often accidentally land on the decks of smaller vessels.[15][20][21]
Fishery and cuisine
Flying fish are commercially fished in
Flying fish roe is known as "cau-cau" in southern Peru, and is used to make several local dishes.[citation needed]
In the
Importance
Barbados
Barbados is known as "the land of the flying fish", and the fish is one of the national symbols of the country. 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.[citation needed]
Just after the completion of the Bridgetown Harbor / Deep Water Harbor in Bridgetown, Barbados had 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 overfishing pushed them closer to the Orinoco delta, no longer returning to Barbados in large numbers. Today, the flying fish only migrate as far north as Tobago, around 120 nmi (220 km; 140 mi) southwest of Barbados. Despite the change, flying fish remain a coveted delicacy.[citation needed]
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
Maritime disputes
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[22] fixed the maritime boundaries between Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago over the flying fish dispute, which gradually raised tensions between the neighbours.[23] The ruling stated both countries must preserve stocks for the future. Barbadian fishers still follow the flying fish southward.
Indonesia
Makassar fishermen in south Sulawesi have been catching flying fish (torani) in special boats called patorani for centuries developing their own sailing traditions along the way. These fishermen were able to sail as far as Kimberley region in west of Australia reaching the indigenous people there.[24]
Prehistoric analogues
The oldest known fossil of a flying or gliding fish are those of the extinct family
See also
References
- ^ Fossilworks. "Exocoetidae".
- ^ PMID 25543675.
- ^ "Recent Discoveries about the Evolution of Flying Fish | Bio-Aerial Locomotion". Retrieved 2019-09-01.
- S2CID 34720887.
- ^ "Flying Fish | National Geographic". Animals. 2010-04-11. Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
- ISBN 9781365061417.
- ^ Harper, Douglas. "exocet". Online Etymology Dictionary.
- ^ Pliny's Natural History, vol. IX, chapter 34
- ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6. Archived from the originalon 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Exocoetidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- ^ S2CID 33251544.
- ^ Kawachi, K., Inada, Y., & Azuma, A. (1993). Optimal Flight Path of Flying Fish
- ^ S2CID 24966029.
- ^ .
- ^ a b c d e f g Kutschera, U. (2005). "Predator-driven macroevolution in flyingfishes inferred from behavioural studies: historical controversies and a hypothesis" (PDF). Annals of the History and Philosophy of Biology. 10: 59–77. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-08-20.
- ^ a b Fish, F. (1991). "On a fin and a prayer" (PDF). Scholars. 3 (1): 4–7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-02.
- ^ a b "Fast flying fish glides by ferry". BBC News. May 20, 2008. Retrieved May 20, 2008.
- ^ Greenwood Press.[page needed]
- ^ "Flying Fish". National Geographic. 11 April 2010. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021.
- ^ Joseph Banks (1997). The Endeavour Journal of Sir Joseph Banks 1768–1771 (PDF). University of Sydney Library. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
- ^ Moran. Churchill: Taken from the Diaries of Lord Moran. p. 819.
- ^ "Barbados/Trinidad and Tobago". Permanent Court of Arbitration. April 11, 2006. Archived from the original on 2010-06-02.
- ^ "Claims of Caribbean piracy as national symbol takes flight". The Sydney Morning Herald. December 18, 2004.
- .
- S2CID 131398231.
- PMID 23118437.