What do they do on the surface before lifting off?

Taxi with the tail still in the water

Flying Fish Quiz: Gliding Fins and Escaping Ocean Predators

This flying fish quiz skims the ocean surface with fish that take to the air. Play 10 interactive questions on enlarged wing-like pectoral fins, a fast-beating tail that launches them, taxiing along the surface, glides of up to about 200 m, a record flight filmed in 2008, escaping tuna and dolphins, four-winged species, Barbados and its national dish.

Start Flying Fish Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Fins
What lets flying fish glide?
Fly
Do flying fish truly fly by flapping?
Launch
What powers their takeoff?
Taxi
What do they do on the surface before lifting off?
Distance
About how far can a glide carry them?
Record
What was filmed off Japan in 2008?
Why
Why do flying fish leave the water?
Four
What do four-winged flying fish have?
Island
Which island is called the land of flying fish?
Dish
What is Barbados' national dish with flying fish?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What lets flying fish glide?
Answer: Enlarged pectoral fins
They spread like wings.
Q2: Do flying fish truly fly by flapping?
Answer: No, they glide
Fins stay spread.
Q3: What powers their takeoff?
Answer: A fast-beating tail
The tail keeps beating on the surface.
Q4: What do they do on the surface before lifting off?
Answer: Taxi with the tail still in the water
This builds speed.
Q5: About how far can a glide carry them?
Answer: Up to about 200 m
Several glides can join together.
Q6: What was filmed off Japan in 2008?
Answer: A flight of about 45 seconds
A TV crew captured it.
Q7: Why do flying fish leave the water?
Answer: To escape predators
Tuna and dolphins chase them.
Q8: What do four-winged flying fish have?
Answer: Enlarged pelvic fins too
They have extra lift.
Q9: Which island is called the land of flying fish?
Answer: Barbados
It is in the Caribbean.
Q10: What is Barbados' national dish with flying fish?
Answer: Cou-cou and flying fish
Cou-cou is made from cornmeal and okra.

Fish That Take to the Air

Flying fish live in warm oceans and escape predators such as tuna and dolphins by leaving the water. Their enlarged pectoral fins spread like wings, and some species, called four-winged flying fish, also have enlarged pelvic fins for extra lift.

Flying fish do not flap. A fast-beating tail launches them, and they taxi along the surface with the tail still in the water to build speed before gliding. Glides can carry them up to about 200 m, and several glides can be joined. In 2008 a TV crew off Japan filmed a flight of about 45 seconds.

Barbados is called the land of flying fish, and cou-cou and flying fish, made with cornmeal and okra, is its national dish. Flying fish are attracted to lights at night and sometimes land on boat decks.

What This Quiz Teaches

Ocean fans will enjoy these questions.

How flying fish glide
How they take off
How far they travel
Why they leave the water
Where they are celebrated

Did You Know?

There are dozens of species.
Their eyes work in air and water.
Seabirds catch them in midair.
Eggs stick to floating seaweed.
Glides stay low over the waves.