Flying Fish

Family Exocoetidae

REMARKS Maximum length 25 cm. May glide in the air for distances of up to 100 metres, reaching a height of seven or eight metres, thanks to its very large pectoral fins which amount almost to wings.

CUISINE All right to eat, but I have no particular suggestions. A fish which arouses no general enthusiasm, although Palombi and Santarelli praise the flavour of its flesh and state that some fishmongers artfully trim down its ‘wings’ and pass it off as mackerel. It is certainly better than the other flying fish of the Mediterranean – Dactylopterus volitans (Linnaeus), the flying gurnard (French hirondelle, Italian pesce civetta, Spanish chicharra) which is bigger and has ‘wings’ prettily marked with blue but makes poor eating and is therefore not listed.