The suffix -idae, common for indicating a family, follows the root of the Latin word exocoetus, a transliteration of the Ancient Greek name ἐξώκοιτος.

The Exocoetidae is divided into four subfamilies and seven genera:[2][9][10] Flying fish live in all of the oceans, particularly in tropical and warm subtropical waters.

One such feature is fully broadened neural arches, which act as insertion sites for connective tissues and ligaments in a fish's skeleton.

Fully broadened neural arches act as more stable and sturdier sites for these connections, creating a strong link between the vertebral column and cranium.

Having a rigid body during glided flight gives the flying fish aerodynamic advantages, increasing its speed and improving its aim.

[13] These features provide the majority of strength to the flying fish, allowing them to physically lift their bodies out of water and glide remarkable distances.

[15] In May 2008, a Japanese television crew (NHK) filmed a flying fish (dubbed "Icarfish") off the coast of Yakushima Island, Japan.

Once abundant, it migrated between the warm, coral-filled Atlantic Ocean surrounding the island of Barbados and the plankton-rich outflows of the Orinoco River in Venezuela.

[citation needed] Many aspects of Barbadian culture center around the flying fish; it is depicted on coins, as sculptures in fountains, in artwork, and as part of the official logo of the Barbados Tourism Authority.

In 2006, the council of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea[22] fixed the maritime boundaries between Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago over the flying fish dispute, which gradually raised tensions between the neighbours.

Makassar fishermen in south Sulawesi have been catching flying fish (torani) in special boats called patorani for centuries developing their own sailing traditions along the way.

The oldest known fossil of a flying or gliding fish are those of the extinct family Thoracopteridae, dating back to the Middle Triassic, 235–242 million years ago.

[25] However, they are thought to be basal neopterygians and are not related to modern flying fish, with the wing-like pectoral fins being convergently evolved in both lineages.