Flyingfish and Needlefish: Order Beloniformes

The order Beloniformes consists of five major groups of fish

• Ricefish / Medakas (Family Adrianichthyidae) - 28 species
• Needlefish (Family Belonidae) - 34 species
• Flyingfish (Family Exocoetidae) - 64 species
• Halfbeaks (Family Hemiramphidae)- 117 species
• Sauries (Family Scomberesocidae)- 4 species

Fish in the order Beloniformes are often found swimming at the surface of the water.  Many are also known for leaping out of the water to evade predators.  Needlefish have been known to impale fishermen as they launch from the water.  Flyingfish are well known for their areal maneuvers.  They can glide for up to 200 meters once airborne.

Page References

• Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors.. "Order Summary for Beloniformes". FishBase. http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/OrdersSummary.cfm?order=Beloniformes
• Helfman G., Collette B., & Facey D.: The Diversity of Fishes, Blackwell Publishing, pp 274-276, 1997