FLYING-FISH

a name common to various fishes which have the power of sustaining themselves for a time in the air by means of their large pectoral fins. Generally, however, the name is limited to the species of the genus Iixocetus, which belongs to the family Scomberesocide (mackerel-pikes). The 492 FLYING-FOX pectoral fins, which are very large, ére the principal instruments in their flight, serving to sustain the fish temporarily in the air after it has acquired an initial velocity in its rush through the water. It can pa through the air to a considerable distance, sometimes as much as 200 yards, which it does to escape from the attacks of other fishes, especially the dolphin (Coryphena). It is most common between the tropics. The best-known species are E. volitans, abundant in the warmer parts of the Atlantic, and H. exiliens of the Mediterranean. The name is also applied to the flying gurnards (Dactyl opter us), native to the hotter regions of the Atlantic and Indian Cceans. These fishes move their large pectoral fins rapidly, but their ‘flights’ are le extended than those of Exocetus. FLYING-FOX. See FOx-BAT. IMG:fig493_1.jpg: