Amazing Flying Fish

The Exocoetidae are a family of marine fishes. Fish of this family are known as flying fish. About 64 species are grouped in seven to nine genera. Flying fish can make powerful, self-propelled leaps out of water into air, where their long, wing-like fins enable gliding flight for considerable distances above the water's surface. This uncommon ability is a natural defence mechanism to evade predators.

             The oldest known fossil of a flying or gliding fish, Potanichthys xingyiensis, dates back to the Middle Triassic, 235–242 million years ago. However, this fossil is not related to modern flying fish, which evolved independently about 66 million years ago.

       Flying fish live in all of the oceans, particularly in tropical and warm subtropical waters. They are commonly found in the epipelagic zone, the top layer of the ocean to a depth of about 200 m. It is often known as the "sunlight zone" because it is where most of the visible light exists.  

        Flying fish are commercially fished in Japan, Vietnam, and China by gillnetting, and in Indonesia and India by dipnetting. Flying fish is part of the national dish of Barbados, cou-cou and flying fish.They are attracted to the light of torches. Fishing is done only when no moonlight is available.

Sources : Google Images & Wikipedia