Flying fish

Flying fish Temporal range: Eocene–Present[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Sailfin flying-fish, Parexocoetus brachypterus
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 family of marine ray-finned fish in the order Beloniformes, known colloquially as flying fish or flying cod. About 64 species are grouped in seven genera. While they cannot fly in the same way a bird does, flying fish can make powerful, self-propelled leaps out of the water where their long wing-like fins enable gliding for considerable distances above the water's surface. The main reason for this behavior is thought to be to escape from underwater predators,^[3][4][5] which include swordfish, mackerel, tuna, and marlin, among others,^[6] though their periods of flight expose them to attack by avian predators such as frigate birds.

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.