Flying fish can make powerful, self-propelled leaps out of water into air, where their long, wing-like fins enable gliding flight for considerable distances.... Flying fish are marine fish that can leap out of the water and glide through the air using their wing-like pectoral fins. Learn about their description, distribution, diet, behavior, life cycle, and interesting facts with pictures and references. Types of flying fish are a fascinating group of marine species known for their remarkable ability to glide above the water’s surface. Flying fish, any of about 40 species of oceanic fishes of the family Exocoetidae (order Atheriniformes), found worldwide in warm waters and noted for their ability to fly.