Atlantic flyingfish
The Atlantic flyingfish is a remarkable species known for its ability to glide through the air using its large pectoral fins as wings. It gains lift by swimming at high speeds, enabling it to leap out of the water and glide gracefully for several seconds, reaching heights of up to 40 feet. Typically measuring around 16 inches in length, its body exhibits a silvery-gray hue complemented by darker pectoral fins and a dusky black tail fin. The fish's gliding behavior is primarily a defense mechanism against predators, as it often takes flight to escape larger fish that chase it back into the water.
Habitat-wise, the Atlantic flyingfish thrives in the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, from Massachusetts to Brazil, preferring to remain about 400 miles offshore but occasionally entering bays. Its diet is carnivorous, consisting of crabs, smaller fish, and zooplankton, which it filters from the water using its gill rakers. Mating occurs at the water's surface, where females release eggs that are fertilized by males before drifting toward the sea floor to hatch. The Atlantic flyingfish has a lifespan of approximately five years, showcasing unique adaptations that allow it to survive and thrive in its marine environment.
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Atlantic flyingfish
Like other flying fish, the Atlantic flying fish is able to glide through the air by using its large pectoral, or side, fins as wings. To gain lift, the fish swims very quickly through the water until it is moving fast enough to leap into the wind. Once out of the water, it glides gracefully for a few seconds before returning to the water. The Atlantic flying fish is very similar to the oceanic two-wing flying fish, but the Atlantic flying fish has darker pectoral fins.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Beloniformes
Family: Exocoetidae
Genus: Cheilopogon
Species: Melanurus
The Atlantic flyingfish grows to a length of about sixteen inches (forty centimeters). Although its body is silvery-gray, its fins show more color. Its caudal, or tail, fin is a dusky black, while its large, pectoral, or side, fins are black with a clear center. Its dorsal, or back, fin is low and transparent. When the Atlantic flyingfish is young, its back and dorsal fin are banded with dark bars, while its belly is decorated with narrower bands.
The Atlantic flying fish swims and glides by using its many fins. It uses its dorsal and anal, or back and belly, fins to help it maintain its balance while in the water or the air. It uses its caudal fin to propel itself through the water. It propels by moving its caudal fin from side to side like a ship's propeller. The Atlantic flyingfish uses its long, strong pectoral fins to help paddle through the water and glide through the air. It moves these fins very rapidly when it is preparing to fly, reaching speeds of up to nineteen miles per hour. Once in the air, the Atlantic flyingfish does not flap its wings, but instead glides on the wind. These flights usually only last for a few seconds and can reach heights of up forty feet in the air. The fish then returns to the water. The Atlantic flyingfish generally flies only when it is trying to escape a larger, predatory fish. Many times a predator will wait until the fish reenters the water and pursues it upon its return. The Atlantic flyingfish also uses its pelvic fins as paddles.
Like other fish, the Atlantic flyingfish must have oxygen to survive. It gets the oxygen it needs from its watery surroundings. The Atlantic flyingfish takes water into its mouth, keeps the oxygen it needs, and filters the waste chemicals out through gills on the sides of its head.
The Atlantic flyingfish lives in Gulf Stream waters from Massachusetts in United States to Brazil. It is especially common in the straits of Florida, around the Gulf of Mexico, and throughout the coastal waters of the Caribbean. The Atlantic flyingfish generally swims in waters about 400 miles (640 kilometers) off shore, although it occasionally enters bays.
As a carnivorous, or meat-eating, creature, the Atlantic flyingfish feeds on crabs, smaller fish, insects, insect larvae, and small, floating animals known as zooplankton. It catches zooplankton by filtering water through its gill rakers. The Atlantic flyingfish takes water into its mouth and filters it out through its gills. Any food particles, such as zooplankton, become trapped in the fish's gill rakers and are quickly eaten.
Mating season for the Atlantic flyingfish begins when the female releases her eggs near the water's surface. The male then fertilizes the eggs, a process known as spawning. After spawning, the fertilized Atlantic flyingfish eggs begin drifting toward the bottom of the sea. Before reaching the bottom of the sea, these eggs hatch into young Atlantic flyingfish.
The life span of the Atlantic flyingfish is approximately five years.
Bibliography
“Flying Fish.” National Geographics, 11 Apr. 2011, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/flying-fish. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
Fox, Trey. “Discover 5 Amazing Types of Fish with Wings.” A-Z Animals, 7 Nov. 2023, www.a-z-animals.com/blog/discover-amazing-types-of-fish-with-wings/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
Myers, P., et al. “Cheilopogon Melanurus.” Animal Diversity Web, 2024, www.animaldiversity.org/accounts/Cheilopogon‗melanurus/classification/#Cheilopogon‗melanurus. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.