The Evolution of Flying Fish

Flying fish are heavily specialised creatures having undergone many changes in body shape and behaviour to leap from the see and glide. So how did something so complex evolve?

If I have used artwork that belongs to you but have neglected to credit it this will just be because I was unable to find one. If this has happened please contact me and I will add a credit. Some Art work has been altered for the purposes of bettering them for video format; these alterations were done independent from the artists who created the original work, so they are not responsible for any inaccuracies that could have occurred with the changes being made.

Sources:

[loopernoodling]

As a teenager hitching round Europe a very long time ago, me and a friend were paddling on a beach in (then) Yugoslavia when a shoal of small fish came towards us, all leaping out of the water at the same time. We ran back to the shore - coming from the Midlands of rainy old UK, we'd never seen anything like it!
I'm sure others on the beach had a good laugh at our expense.

[plumpengu]

i think it’s so interesting how similar flying fish funds fins are to insect wings like mantids or stick insects. at least superficially

[LDSG_A_Team]

One of the finest channels on the platform

[MrT_Rex]

Just the fact that flying fishes exist...this is a masterpiece of evolution

[markb]

New Moth Light! Always happy to see the notification.

[Dr.Yalex]

Fish flew before any bird flew on our planet! BRILLIANT and fascinating.

[maxcasteel]

Forever one of my favorite evolution youtubers. I feel like I've learned so much from you, especially when I first started my journey into learning about the history of life, which has massively shaped my worldview since then.

[artofescapism]

Flying fish are such funny little weirdos, and I love them. It's really fascinating to get a glimpse into their evolutionary history. Thank you!

[bobmorgan]

Thank you, this was a fascinating, informative, and well produced video. I’m a tropical fish hobbyist that has kept two unrelated species of freshwater “flying”/gliding fish, the African butterfly fish, Pantodon buchholzi, and the silver or platinum hatchetfish, Thoracocharax stellatus. Freshwater hatchetfish have the distinction of being the only fish capable of powered flight, buzzing their pectoral fins fast enough to keep them aloft for almost 4 meters. Not bad for a 7cm fish!

[JoseDominguez-lv]

Sorry babe new moth light video just dropped, can't come over rn

[ArcadeTheatre]

Fish are so cool. I wish they were real.

[fishfightgo]

This gave me a idea what if in a alien world that is covered with islands and highly active volcanoes causing most islands to be created and destroyed in a daily bases, the aquatic life evolves to fly before evolving to walk on land.

[TheAutobotPower]

Consider the Flish, 200 million years in the future.

[DeclanDG]

They are truly always a delight to see on the water. Never gets old.
Love your work Moth Light!

[kokroucz]

Good video moth. Flying fish is crazy topic I tackled once. It's crazy to think it happened more than once and species we see today are not exactly closely related

[tomrock]

one of the most incredible animals on Earth yet, there is not much vids on them :( Great vid guys

[objective_psychology]

The flying halfbeaks are a perfect example of *parallel* evolution, not just convergent: independently developing similar innovations from the same genetic starting point in their common ancestor. Some of their preexisting features predisposed them long-term to specializing in “flight”.

[charlieross-BRM]

I remember my mother describing being on a ship and seeing "flying fish." I wasn't likely even 8 years old so my imagine was off the rails trying to picture what she was describing. It's one of those mom/son things that stuck with me. She was a British nurse officer being transported around Africa to reach India during WWII. She had many short anecdotes about her experiences in India. I'm sure I only heard the good ones. Every time I see a nature show with flying fish I think of that.

[nazzkid]

this was SUCH a great and informative video, flying fish are so slept on! 🐟💙

[johngoodwin]

I recall seeing a TV show that described a bird species that primarily eats flying fish. They watch for schools of tuna and other predatory fish and follow them. Once the flying fish are found by the tuna, they "take off and glide" allowing the birds to easily grab them.