rhamphotheca: amazing-animal-fp: AMAZING ADAPTATIONS: Flying Fish When you’re a little fish in a big ocean, there’s not much you can do when faced with predators that are stronger, faster and bigger than you. But one fish has evolved to be equipped with a new way to escape from predators. The flying fish lives up to its name, with elongated fins that allow it to glide far out of reach of predators. With a predator closing in, the flying fish begins racing along just under the surface of the water with powerful flicks of its tail. Just before the predator is able to grab it, the flying fish has disappeared. From above the surface, the fish is now visible. Pectoral fins spread out like wings, it glides above the water. When it’s momentum begins to slow, the fish will glide back to the water’s surface and beat at it with its tail to propel itself upwards once more. Using these tactics, the flying fish is able to fly for up to 50m (164 feet). An ingenious escape mechanism for an otherwise easy meal. Source: LIFE by Martha Holmes and Michael Gunton One of the coolest things I’ve seen in the wild, regardless of how common they might be to people living in areas rife with these fish. They really do fly for a long time, it looks awesome. We saw plenty gliding next to the boat in South Africa.

rhamphotheca:

amazing-animal-fp: AMAZING ADAPTATIONS: Flying Fish

When you’re a little fish in a big ocean, there’s not much you can do when faced with predators that are stronger, faster and bigger than you. But one fish has evolved to be equipped with a new way to escape from predators. The flying fish lives up to its name, with elongated fins that allow it to glide far out of reach of predators.

With a predator closing in, the flying fish begins racing along just under the surface of the water with powerful flicks of its tail. Just before the predator is able to grab it, the flying fish has disappeared. From above the surface, the fish is now visible. Pectoral fins spread out like wings, it glides above the water. When it’s momentum begins to slow, the fish will glide back to the water’s surface and beat at it with its tail to propel itself upwards once more. Using these tactics, the flying fish is able to fly for up to 50m (164 feet).

An ingenious escape mechanism for an otherwise easy meal.

Source: LIFE by Martha Holmes and Michael Gunton

One of the coolest things I’ve seen in the wild, regardless of how common they might be to people living in areas rife with these fish.

They really do fly for a long time, it looks awesome. We saw plenty gliding next to the boat in South Africa.

tagged as evolution. flying fish. fish. evolution.

via rhamphotheca

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    One of my favorite animals.
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