Notes from Janice’s Desk
Kids often ask questions that adults don’t know the answers to, but are as interested in knowing the answers. For example:
Can fish really fly?
Actually, what are called flying fish are fish with a streamlined torpedo shape which helps them gather enough underwater speed to break the surface, and their large, wing-like pectoral fins keep them temporarily airborne. So, these fish are not actually flying, instead they are gliding through the air.
The process of taking flight, or gliding, begins by going as fast as possible underwater. Some reach speeds of 37 miles (60 kilometers) per hour. To break the water’s surface the fish must angle upward. The height reached depends different factors, including speed, the angle the fish leaves the water, and the weight of the fish. Some reach heights over 4 feet (1.2 meters) and glide a distance of 655 feet (200 meters) or even twice as far.
For more information, see FLYING FISH.
More Later,
Janice