Roni Essex
Freediver, Spearo, Creator
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Roni Essex
Freediver, Spearo, Creator
On land, the cheetah is known to be the fastest animal, reaching speeds up to 75 mph (120.7 km/h). What about the ocean though? Which is the fastest fish out there? Here's a Top 10 list of highly qualified swimmers.
Flying fish can use their wing-like pectoral fins, to launch powerful, self-propelled leaps out of the water in order to escape predators.
They have been known to glide for up to 200m, touching speeds in excess of 35mph (56 km/h).
Also known as the common dolphinfish or dorado, its name means very strong in Hawaiian.
Mahi Mahi are very sought after for sport fishing and commercial purposes and can reach speeds of up to 37 mph (60 km/h).
Bonitos are a tribe of medium-sized, ray-finned predatory fish, of the Scombridae family.
They have been recorded at speeds of up to 40 mph (64 km/h).
Albacore is one of the smaller tuna species with an average size of 90-100 cm. Albacore have a streamlined, bullet-shaped body and
extremely long pectoral fins, meaning they can exceed speeds of 40 mph (64 km/h).
Atlantic bluefin tuna are heavily targeted by the lucrative Japanese raw fish market. All bluefin species are highly prized for sushi and their commercial
importance has led to severe overfishing, meaning they are now endangered. They can reach speeds of 43 mph (69 km/h).
Like all tuna, the Yellowfin’s body shape is well adapted for speeds, enabling them to pursue and capture fast-moving baitfish such as flying fish,
sauries, and mackerel. Unlike most fish, tuna are heterothermic, meaning they have heat-generating muscles.
Their warm muscles make them extremely strong swimmers and they can reach speeds of 45 mph (74 km/h).
The flesh of the wahoo is highly regarded by many restaurants with a taste similar to mackerel, though arguably less pronounced.
Wahoo tend to be solitary or are part of small groups. They are less susceptible to commercial fishing than more
tightly schooling species, such as tuna. They can reach speeds of 47 mph (76 km/h).
Blue Marlins use their bill to knife through a school of fish or other prey. They then return to eat the injured or stunned fish.
Blue Marlins are currently considered a threatened species by the IUCN due to overfishing.
They have been recorded reaching speeds of 50 mph (80 km/h).
Swordfish are larger highly migratory, predatory fish, characterized by a long, flat bill. Due to a ban on long-lining alongside many parts of the seashore,
swordfish populations are showing signs of recovery from overfishing. They have been recorded at speeds of 60 mph (97 km/h).
Marine biologists have theorized that the sail of the sailfish may serve as a cooling/heating system. This theory is supported by the sailfish’s sail rising
behavior exhibited at or near the surface waters, after or before high-speed bursts and the fact that the sail possesses a large network of blood vessels.
Their top speed has been clocked at 68 mph (109 km/h), making them the fastest fish in the ocean.