[2] Volans is one of the 12 constellations that were introduced by the Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman in the late 16th century.

[3] In 1603, Johann Bayer included the constellation in his star atlas Uranometria under the name Piscis Volans, the flying fish.

[3] John Herschel proposed shrinking the name to one word in 1844, noting that Lacaille himself had abbreviated his constellations thus on occasion.

[3] Volans represents a type of tropical fish that can jump out of the water and glide through the air on wings.

[5] The Astronomical Society of Southern Africa in 2003 reported that observations of the variable stars R and S Volantis in Volans were very urgently needed as data on their light curves was incomplete.