an order of fish whose brightly colored pectoral fins resemble those of the Exocoetidae (flying fish). The order comprises one family, Dactylopteridae (flying gurnards), which has four genera, each with several species. The fish are found in warm coastal waters of the tropical Atlantic, in the Indian Ocean along the shores of India, in the western Pacific, in the Mediterranean, and in the Sea of Marmara. A representative of Dactylopteriformes is Dactylopterus volitans, which measures up to 45 cm long. The Dactylopteridae are coastal bottom fish that feed on invertebrates. Earlier it was believed that they were capable of flying through the air for short distances (hence the common name).