Two South Korean scientists decided to test a fish's performance in a wind tunnel and their findings — the fruit of what they say is the first direct investigation of flying fish aerodynamics — showed that the fish could stay airborne just as well as small-to-midsize birds according to Science 2.0.
How is this possible!?
Apparently, fish are equipped with wing-like fins that they keep close to the body as they swim but spread out when they launch into the air. The fish stay airborne by periodically dipping their tail fins in the water and propelling themselves onward, similar to stones skipping across water.
The fish species they chose for the study, the Cypselurus hirai, has four wing-like fins — two large and two small — in a "biplane" formation. The scientists selected five fish of similar size, injected them with urethane foam, arranged the two pairs of fins in different positions and tested the movement of air around them in a wind tunnel to assess their flightworthiness according to The Los Angeles Times.
Perhaps one of the most fascinating findings was how well the fish could glide in comparison with other winged creatures said Science 2.0. The lift-to-drag ratio, which essentially measures how much horizontal distance is traveled during descent, suggested the fish can glide better than insects such as the dragonfly, and just as well as birds such as the petrel and wood duck.
Moreover, the tandem arrangement of the large pectoral fin at the front and smaller pelvic fin at the back of the fish's body accelerates the air flow towards the tail like a jet, increasing the fish's lift-to-drag ratio further and improving its flying performance even more.
Ca-ray-z. Click here to see them in action.
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