Waking with the Fishes

The term "Exocoetidae" is not only the present scientific name for a genus of flying fish in this family, but also the general name in Latin for a flying fish. The suffix -idae, common for indicating a family, follows the root of the Latin word exocoetus, a transliteration of the Ancient Greek name ἐξώκοιτος. This means literally "sleeping outside", from ἔξω} "outside" and κοῖτος "bed", "resting place", so named as flying fish were believed to leave the water to sleep on the shore.

Flying fish have in turn given their name to:

• The Exocet guided missile.
• Three ships of the United States Navy named USS Flying Fish.
• The constellation Volans ("flying", originally "Piscis Volans" = "flying fish").