What are the fastest fish in the world? The fastest fish in the ocean What is the fastest fish in the world
Fish are not only a source of food. These are fascinating and amazing creatures of nature that you can admire endlessly. The most exciting thing about the world of fish is the ability of some of them to swim at incredibly fast speeds.
The answer to the question of which fish swims the fastest in the ocean is of interest to many. This article will provide a brief overview of fish that swim at tremendous speeds. This opportunity was given to them by nature in order to run away from danger and catch up with food. The ability to swim quickly is a way to survive in wild, sometimes cruel, nature, or rather, in its waters.
To find out which fish swims the fastest in the ocean, for comparison we will briefly present in the article several of the fastest fish.
Southern bluefin tuna
Based on the name, you can understand that this species of tuna lives in the southern hemisphere. They grow up to 2.5 meters in length and weigh up to 400 kilograms (they have quite large bones).
Despite its enormous size, the fish can swim 74 kilometers in an hour.
Yellow tuna
This fish differs from the above-mentioned related species by two yellow and long fins. The relatively small size (length within 2-2.5 m, weight - up to 200 kg) of yellow tuna allows it to maneuver well and move quickly in the water.
The maximum speed it can reach is 75 km per hour.
Which fish swims the fastest in the ocean? The top three fastest includes a representative whose habitat is the Pacific Ocean. This is a striped marlin that likes to swim close to the water surface.
Its length is 4.2 m and its weight is 190 kg. The giant's favorite food is sardines. It should be noted that due to the difficulty of catching it, marlin is included in the list of sport fishing.
Striped marlin swims at a speed of 77 km/hour.
Horse mackerel
The delicious school of sea predators is very difficult to catch and is smaller in size than the giants presented above. It reaches 30-50 centimeters in length and weighs up to 400 grams. The weight of some individuals exceeds 1 kg. It should be noted that the largest horse mackerel was caught weighing 2 kg.
The fish reaches a maximum speed of 80 km/h.
The sailfish is the fastest fish in the world. Length - 3.5 meters, weight - 90 kg.
Its speed is similar to that of the cheetah, which is considered the fastest animal on earth. The sailboat has a maximum speed of 112 kilometers per hour.
The fish gets its name due to its amazing sail-like dorsal fin. Lives in subtropical and tropical seas and oceans. You can also meet this fish in the waters of the Black Sea, where it enters from the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean Sea and the Dardanelles Strait.
The sailfish is a predator that is an industrial fish. It is caught using the longline method along with swordfish and tuna.
Swordfish
The maximum speed of swordfish (order perciformes) is 109 km/h. This is the registered value. But there are also unofficial measurements. The value is 130 km per hour, which is more than a sailboat. The weight of the fish is approximately 500 kg with a length of up to 5 meters.
The main distinguishing feature of the huge swordfish is that instead of an upper jaw, it has a long process (rostrum), similar in shape to a sword. Its length is 2/3 of the total body length. Mainly, this sword is convenient for hunting - it is used to break
Swordfish is found in tropical and subtropical waters. High speed is achieved due to the structure of the body. The rostrum plays an important role in this, reducing drag.
Conclusion
When asked which fish swims the fastest in the ocean, the answer turned out to be a little controversial. But we should proceed from the facts that have ever been recorded. Therefore, the sailfish can safely be considered the fastest fish in the world.
Many species and seas have incredibly high movement speeds. These include albula, tiger shark, tarpon and others, the speed of which in the water develops within the range of 50-69 km/h.
December 14th, 2012
Alexander Safonov is the author of unique underwater photographs.
We haven't added to our collection for a long time. And now the time has come! Let's meet...
The sailfish (lat. Istiophorus) belongs to the order Perciformes, which includes two species of fish that live in the central and western parts of the Pacific Ocean and the waters of the Indian Ocean. A distinctive feature of this fish is a high and long fin, running from the back of the head almost along the entire back, like a sail, which is why it got its name. This fin has a bright blue color, complemented by dark dots.
The size of the Sailboat can exceed three meters, and its weight can be about one hundred kilograms. The main distinguishing feature of the fastest fish in the world is its large dorsal fin, which looks like a sail.
When swimming fast, the sail is retracted into a special recess on the back of the fish. During sharp turns, it straightens out helping the fish move in the right direction. This amazing fish also has a long upper jaw, reminiscent of a pike. This growth helps the fish in hunting and in creating turbulence around itself.
Sailboats are helped by their streamlined and very aerodynamic (or more appropriately, aquadynamic) body, covered with grooves of small tooth-like outgrowths. Water is retained in these grooves, and it turns out that it is not the body of the sailboat itself, but the “water film” that clings to it, that is in contact with the water, which significantly reduces the coefficient of friction. Also, the fish’s far-protruding, pointed jaws make it possible to achieve the effect of turbulence, and the tail fin, which has the shape of a narrow crescent, although it oscillates with a small amplitude, does so at a very high speed.
Well, in the end, sailboats have negative buoyancy (due to the lack of a swim bladder), compensating for this with an asymmetrical body structure, with a lifting force like that of an airplane wing. This morphological structure of the fish ensures its primacy in high-speed swimming among all aquatic creatures.
The sailfish is a large fish; by the age of one year, young fish reach up to 2 meters in length, and adult individuals are found more than 3 meters. Most often there are individuals weighing up to 25 kg. This is a predator fish that swims at enormous speeds, up to 100 km/h.
It has been noted that a fish can observe a straightened sail at those moments when it is scared or excited. Then the external size of the fish triples.
Also, one of the theories that sounds convincing claims that the fish’s sail plays the role of a radiator, cooling the fish’s blood. In fact, the fin contains many small blood vessels. Considering that the acceleration of a fish greatly heats its blood, a straightened fin really helps the fish not to “boil.”
The sailfish does not have a swim bladder - for the fastest fish it would only be a hindrance. The structure of the fish and its movements contribute to the formation of turbulent vortices, which help reduce water resistance.
This allows the Sailboat to develop a record speed for fish and be the fastest fish in the world. This fish spawns in warm waters from August to September. During one spawning season, the female Sailfish lays up to five million eggs.
This amazing fish feeds on small fish such as anchovies, sardines, mackerel, as well as mollusks and crustaceans. The lifespan of the fastest fish reaches 13 years.
Catching this amazing fish with a spinning rod is the dream of any angler. One can only envy such a trophy.
In Costa Rica, for example, this fish is protected by law, and its fishing is strictly controlled. Sports tournaments for catching Sailfish are held here. After the fish is caught, it is measured and photographed, then released.
Another attraction of the sailfish is its elongated upper jaw, which gives it a resemblance to a marlin. In sport fishing, sailfish are even classified as billfish. Among fishermen, this trophy is no worse than black marlin.
In the sailfish, one also notices the water games characteristic of marlins, when the fish jumps high and “walks” through the water on its tail. Caught on a fishing tackle, she tries to get rid of the hook with high pirouettes and candles. In terms of strength and tenacity, fishing for a sailfish is reminiscent of hunting large marlin.
In general, sailfish fishing has become widespread thanks to the writer Ernest Hemingway who were fond of catching this fish in Cuba.
These fish are very bad parents; they do not care about their offspring at all. Maybe that's why they are very prolific. A female can lay up to 100 million eggs in one spawning. But most of them die. Larger predatory fish like to feast on eggs and fry.
Sailfish- object of intensive fishing. They are often mined together with tuna and swordfish using longline fishing. Amateur fishermen often catch sailfish using spinning rods. Off the coasts of Florida, Cuba, California, Hawaii, Tahiti, Peru, New Zealand and Australia, those interested can go sea fishing to try their hand at catching this magnificent fish.
It seems that sailboats are protected by the law of this country and their catching is strictly controlled. As they say, the caught fish is released back into the water after measurements and a “photo shoot.” Then, using the data obtained, you can create an exact copy of the caught fish. However, from some photos it seems to me personally that they are not releasing all of them :-(
The wave-like movements of the body, with the help of which fish move, are concentrated closer to the tail of the sailfish. In this regard, the caudal fin has the appearance of narrow planes, almost perpendicular to the body. Negative buoyancy is compensated by muscular efforts and asymmetry of the body relative to the horizontal plane; the anatomical features of the sailfish and other sword- and spear-snout fish allow them to be the fastest.
Sailfish feed on sardines, mackerel, anchovies, mackerel, crustaceans and cephalopods. Any schooling fish of medium size from the upper layers of the ocean is prey for a sailfish, which is able to gain a higher speed of movement. For hunting, sailboats can act together. The sailfish looks spectacular when it flies out of the water with an extended fin, which can reach a height of up to 1.5 meters and noisily falls back into the ocean.
The sailfish spawns in warm near-equatorial ocean waters from August to September. At this time, fish may approach coastal areas. Sailfish are very prolific; during spawning, the female lays up to 100 million eggs; most of the offspring die in the early stages of development. The caviar of the sailfish is small in size, non-sticky, and develops in the pelagic zone (thicker waters).
sources
http://pats0n.livejournal.com/
http://dooi.com.ua/archives/43788
http://www.inokean.ru/animal/fish/72-parus
http://www.softmixer.com/2011/01/blog-post_5752.html
http://jevayaplaneta.ru/ryba-parusnik
The fastest fish in the world is a very interesting object of study for those who want to learn the secrets of the aquatic depths. The deep blue sea is a treasure trove for study not only by oceanologists, but also by ordinary people. You just have to show a desire to look into what is visibly and invisibly moving at an enviable speed on the seabed.
The decision of wise nature for her own good
The fastest fish in the world actively cut through the surface of the water for various reasons that they themselves are not aware of:
- Protection. Having even small sizes, it is possible to survive in the world of toothy predators while moving quickly. Without protection in the form of spines, a massive jaw or a poisonous bite, the fish flee. In some cases, quite successfully if they can gain the necessary speed.
- Attack. The meal is definitely canceled if you work your fins sluggishly. A sharp attack on the victim does not leave her the slightest chance of salvation. Fur seals maneuver very deftly in the surface of the water, but often find themselves victims of more active sharks and killer whales.
- Body structure. This aspect should still be placed in first place when listing the reasons for the rapid movement of fish. Dimensions don't really matter. The main favorable factor in the ability to quickly frolic in the surface of the water is the low level of friction. The leaders of fast acceleration are those who lack a swim bladder.
The fastest fish in the world have many advantages over the rest of the underwater brethren. They understand the expression “if you want to live, know how to turn around” in the literal sense.
Presentation of sprinter fish
The nimble fish, which took an honorable twelfth place, is able to fit into the city movement limit of 50 km/h. However, the inhabitant of the Atlantic Ocean with silvery scales swims quite briskly. She doesn’t have much choice, because the tarpon’s shiny outfit and 160 kg weight attract fishermen so much that they have to deftly escape from them. Both varieties - the Indo-Pacific and the Atlantic - move quickly from everyone who wants to taste their meat.
The magnificent predator attacks with lightning speed and deservedly takes eleventh place in the ranking. 53 km/h is not a question for her when she wants to have lunch. If you add to the stated indicator a carnivorous grin with two rows of dagger teeth, then you should beware of meeting a tiger shark.
It should be noted that the lover of seals and other living creatures moves quite actively, but is a mammal. Its speed of 55 km/h and its steel jaws are a serious threat to the entire aquatic world. An additional danger is the ability of killer whales to live in rather cold water environments. The hunt of a sea predator for seals is an impressive spectacle due to the speed of the mammal’s reaction at the sight of its next victim.
The white-winged beauty from the tropical subspecies absolutely does not live up to its name. She is a real sprinter, because if desired, she accelerates to 55-60 km/h. We have to call it a rather frisky pig with fins.
60 km/h – rating price with eighth place for a tropical inhabitant, which is used in sport fishing. Such data allows the albula to escape from a tiger shark, which is otherwise not interested in it.
7. Swordfish
Being in the 7th position, a rather large inhabitant of the sea surface rushes along it at a speed of 65 km/h. Such zeal is amazing because swordfish can weigh up to 650 kg. An excellent result for such impressive dimensions. Some unofficial statements attribute speeds of 110-130 km/h to the swordfish. Anything is possible, because keeping up with such zealous creatures with a stopwatch is very difficult.
6. Blue (blue) shark
The voiced predator loves to feast on its smaller brothers, because it reaches speeds of up to 69 km/h and tears them to pieces. It rarely hits a person, but it’s better not to drink with her during the brotherhood and swim races if you want to compete in skill.
The nimble fish can accelerate its body up to 74 km/h. Living in the southern seas, the weasel weighs quite a lot - up to 400 kg. The Pacific inhabitant is something special, because during seasonal migration it can cover a huge distance in a short period of time.
The fellow blue variety of the sprinter is still not particularly impressive in size. However, he will not give up his well-deserved fourth place to anyone thanks to a speed of up to 75 km/h. The fish is called yellowfin, but one should not belittle its dignity, because it takes the most impressive depths and distances at once.
The sea weevil is not particularly shy about its exotic appearance, because it cuts through the expanses of water with the alacrity of 77 km/h and takes third position in the hit parade. Such a high rating is not at all surprising, because the body of the fish is sometimes 4-5 meters long. However, large individuals also weigh quite a bit.
Skeptics will smile at the statement that the familiar fish works perfectly with its fins and tail. However, it is difficult to keep up with her when she is rushing through the water at a speed of 80 km/h. To keep up with horse mackerel, you will have to work hard. The price for its carcass corresponds to the effort expended, but the wallet will clearly suffer if you want to feast on the shrew.
First place for the most admirable fish. The very name of the inhabitant of the seas suggests that the sailboat rushes through the waves at the speed of sound. The maximum speed of the miracle fish is 112 km/h.
The fastest fish in the world are amazing creatures that never cease to amaze humanity. It doesn't matter why they move so quickly. Just watching their lightning-fast movement makes you think about your own slowness.
The cheetah is considered the fastest animal on earth - on its long straight legs it can accelerate more than a hundred kilometers per hour! Such a speed for a living creature seems incredible to us, but just think, in the depths of the water there live fish that can outrun a fleet-footed predator, while weighing twice as much. Let's take a closer look at the inhabitants of the seas and oceans and find out what it is - the fastest fish in the world?
General information
Fish are not only our source of food. They are also fascinating and amazing creatures of nature that sometimes you just want to behold. But the most exciting “attribute” of fish is their ability to swim quickly at incredible speeds.
They use their incredible speed to chase food or escape predators. In general, the ability of fish to swim quickly is their way of surviving in the wild, or rather in the waters.
We present to your attention a list of the fastest fish in the world, as well as their maximum swimming speed. Some of the things listed here may surprise you, but the truth is that fish truly are some of nature's greatest wonders.
The fastest fish in the world actively cut through the surface of the water for various reasons that they themselves are not aware of:
- Protection. Having even small sizes, it is possible to survive in the world of toothy predators while moving quickly. Without protection in the form of spines, a massive jaw or a poisonous bite, the fish flee. In some cases, quite successfully if they can gain the necessary speed.
- Attack. The meal is definitely canceled if you work your fins sluggishly. A sharp attack on the victim does not leave her the slightest chance of salvation. Fur seals maneuver very deftly in the surface of the water, but often find themselves victims of more active sharks and killer whales.
- Body structure. This aspect should still be placed in first place when listing the reasons for the rapid movement of fish. Dimensions don't really matter. The main favorable factor in the ability to quickly frolic in the surface of the water is the low level of friction.
The leaders of fast acceleration are those who lack a swim bladder. The fastest fish in the world have many advantages over the rest of the underwater brethren. They understand the expression “if you want to live, know how to turn around” in the literal sense.
The name “Tiger Shark” immediately fills us with fear - we all know what a dangerous predator this fish really is. In itself, it is a very large representative of its species - it can reach as much as five meters in length and weigh more than 600 kilograms! Given its enormous size, the speed usually inherent in this predator seems incredible: the tiger shark easily accelerates to 53 kilometers per hour. In fact, she doesn’t often have to accelerate: an active predator will swim really fast only during an attack or stampede; the rest of the time she prefers to leisurely patrol her territory in search of food. Interestingly, a tiger shark is capable of catching up even with a sea turtle (that famous racer), and its strong teeth are quite enough to bite through a strong turtle shell.
The tiger shark generally swims calmly, except when attacking for food or to save its life.
Albula
Albulas are also among the fastest fish in the world. For the most part, this fish is used as a catch for sport fishing. They are found in shallow waters of tropical and subtropical regions. The maximum speed of the Albul is 60 kilometers per hour.
Wahoo
The wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) lives in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, as well as in the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas. The color of the back is bluish-green, the sides and belly are light. Wahoo grow to a maximum length of about 2.4 m, but more often around 1.5 m. The maximum speed of this fish is about 77 km/h. This was confirmed by scientists who studied the speed of wahoo and the results obtained ranged from 43 to 77 km/h.
The Atlantic tarpon is in no way inferior in speed to the tiger shark, but at the same time instills much less fear in sea and land inhabitants. Outwardly, it resembles a herring (except perhaps a large one, but show us - what kind of herring can weigh one hundred and sixty kilograms?), but apart from purely external data, these two species of fish are nothing more similar. Atlantic tarpon is far from the fastest fish in the world and will not reach a speed of more than 55 kilometers per hour, but in search of any food it is capable of swimming record distances in a short time. Tarpon, like the tiger shark, is a predator, except that it is much less dangerous for large aquatic inhabitants - it prefers fry, mollusks and small crustaceans from prey. But hunting for samotarpon often opens up: since this fish prefers to swim close to the shore, it often becomes the catch of fishermen, and its meat is used for food.
Atlantic tarpon is not a game fish species
The blue (aka blue) shark is a dangerous predator and the most common shark of all living sharks. You can meet it both in the deep-sea expanses of the ocean and on the coastline - the blue shark doesn’t really care where it hunts, and its main prey is mollusks, crustaceans, bony fish, sometimes it even allows itself to feast on an unlucky seabird or whale. The fact that this predator even hunts whales should not be surprising: given its size, it can easily afford it. But no matter how huge it is, it is amazing how quickly it can develop speed and overtake its prey - the blue shark accelerates to 67 kilometers per hour. Of course, we can’t say that it is the fastest fish in the world, but we are willing to bet that those who escape from it will find this shark’s speed quite impressive.
A blue shark can grow up to four meters and weigh more than two hundred kilograms
Yellowfin tuna is a giant member of the tuna family, second in size only to its athletic relative. The yellow tuna itself can grow up to two and a half meters in length, and weigh up to two hundred kilograms - and such dimensions of a predator are very impressive, especially if it is capable of moving these dimensions at a speed of 75 km per hour!
Yellow tuna received its characteristic name for its unusual color - along the entire length of the body this fish has yellow and golden stripes, which are clearly visible against the background of the general gray-blue color. Yellow tuna live mostly in schools, and just imagine what an impressive picture: six to seven fish, two and a half meters in size, trying to catch up with their prey at a speed of seventy-five kilometers per hour! However, we do not think that those whom the tunas hunted had much opportunity or time to be impressed.
Some individuals have additional yellow fins or more stripes.
Striped (aka Atlantic blue) marlin is perhaps the fastest fish in the world, because it can swim at a speed of 85 km per hour! At such a speed, this sailfish easily outpaces most sharks and, at the same time, significantly exceeds them in size - marlin can grow up to five meters in length and weigh more than eight hundred kilograms. It is interesting that this fish develops its enormous speed despite the fact that it lacks a huge dorsal fin, and it is precisely due to this that most fish can accelerate at all. The striped marlin is widely reflected in popular culture and is depicted on several coats of arms.
In Ernest Hemingway's well-known novel The Old Man and the Sea, the main character hunts striped marlin.
Horse mackerel is a very small but very nimble fish. Compared to all the previous representatives of our list, it seems very tiny - its dimensions, as a rule, do not exceed fifty centimeters in length, and its weight is about 300-400 grams. No matter how small the fish is, its speed cannot be taken away: horse mackerel is capable of moving at a speed of more than 80 km per hour! It is interesting that even such a baby uses its abilities to quickly overtake the victim, because horse mackerel is a predator that feeds on small mollusks and plankton, and less often on invertebrates. These fish live mainly in large groups - they form schools, and migrate as part of them - with changes in temperature, horse mackerel prefer to move to warmer waters. It is a commercial fish species, it is often caught, and people like to eat horse mackerel.
Among the cooking methods, salted canned food made from horse mackerel is especially valued.
Although such a name may seem more suitable for some yacht club, the fact remains: the sailfish is the fastest fish in the world, and there is no creature either in the sea or on land that would be able to outrun it. The highest speed of a sailfish is 110 km per hour, which seems simply incredible, because not every car is capable of accelerating like that! And if we add to this the gigantic size - three meters in length and one hundred kilograms of weight - then the picture turns out to be more than impressive.
A special feature of the sailfish is the unusual body structure of this fish: it has a powerful and long body, covered with small scales, and on its “nose” there is a huge growth that resembles a spear. Despite the obvious fears that a sharp meter-long “stick” on the nose of a three-meter fish causes, this growth is not a real weapon: it does not help to hunt or defend itself, but serves to make it convenient for the sailfish to “cut” the water in front of it during fast movement. It is partly thanks to it that the fastest fish in the world can accelerate more than 100 km per hour: the sharp shape relieves the pressure of turbulent water flows that occurs in the sailfish while moving.
An interesting feature of this predator is the ability to change its color while hunting. When attacking, he can give his body different shades - from silver to almost black, while scientists are still not clear about the purpose of these maneuvers. It is assumed that in this way it is simply trying to confuse its prey so that it does not have to chase it, although it is not that a sailfish could ever fail to catch up with someone.
The sailfish entered the Guinness Book of Records for its phenomenal speed.
Speed records
The sailboat indestructibly holds the speed record among fish. It is followed by its closest relative, the marlin. But both of them are far from the only “racers” in the World Ocean. Not far behind the marlin is the Waho fish, which lives in the waters surrounding Central America. Her speed record is 78 kilometers per hour.
The familiar common tuna with its 70 kilometers per hour lags somewhat behind the Waho. Perhaps if tunas could move a little faster, they would not become the favorite food of killer whales and other predators. But what to do? Killer whales also have to eat something, and if they can’t catch up with the marlins, then let it be tuna.
But the next sea sprinter doesn’t have to run away from anyone. Rather, all other inhabitants of the World Ocean strive to give way to him as quickly as possible. We are talking about a large blue shark, whose maximum speed is only one kilometer behind the speed of tuna. (This is how sometimes such a small number decides who lives and who dies). The blue shark is in a hurry only when it wants to eat, and here it is better not to get in the way of not only fish, but also people. This animal does not distinguish how many limbs its prey has and what species it (the prey) belongs to, but grabs and swallows everyone in a row.
Swordfish can swim somewhat slower, but also at an impressive speed - up to 64 kilometers per hour. And they are only slightly inferior to flying fish, whose speed record is 56 kilometers per hour. Another advantage of a flying fish is that if it suddenly fails to break away from its pursuer in the water, it jumps to the surface and flies through the air. Usually the predator, having lost sight of the flying fish at this moment, begins to look for other prey. And the fish, having flown from 50 to 400 meters (if you are lucky with the air currents), flops back into the water alive and healthy, provided, of course, that seagulls or other equally voracious birds did not manage to eat it during the flight.
In our selection, we have collected the fastest aquatic inhabitants and found out which fish holds the record for speed among its fellows. It is noteworthy that all the individuals that we described are predators and mainly predators of colossal size, two to three meters in length and several hundred kilograms in weight. The opportunity to develop high speeds is given to them only so that they can hunt, and judging by the fact that there are no non-predatory fish in our selection, the victims of the fastest aquatic inhabitants are not given the ability to swim quickly, and they have practically no chance of escape. However, many of the individuals we described are commercial, and, despite their gigantic size and phenomenal speed, they also have something to fear - after all, a person can easily turn all of them, three meters in length and a couple of hundred kilograms of weight, into ordinary canned fish.
There is a lot of amazing, sometimes even fantastic, in nature. The Northern Lights, salt caves, lakes in volcanic craters, perfectly clear symmetry of plants and insects, incredible mechanisms of protection and camouflage of animals and many others amaze the imagination. For example, the world's fastest fish lives in the oceans. Not a single land animal, not even a cheetah, can compete with it.
Swordfish
It plows the waters of the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans at a speed close to 125 km/h. This means that she can overtake a car! Experts disagree on which fish is the fastest.
The swordtail has a characteristic jaw in the form of a pointed sword up to one and a half meters long and a sickle-shaped tail. Many scientists believe that he is the fastest fish on Earth. Its body length (without the sword nose) reaches 4 m, it is without scales, but covered with slightly rough skin. The weight of the fish is 350-400 kg, and it is so strong that it can even attack a shark. Color - gray-blue with various shades. Having very tasty meat, the fastest fish in the world is the object of active fishing.
sailboat
This predator got its name from its large dorsal fin, which, when spread out, looks very similar to a sail. This amazing fin reaches a height of one and a half meters. The sailboat straightens it during sharp turns, when frightened or excited. This fish lives in the Pacific and Indian oceans. It feeds on sardines, mackerel, anchovies, crustaceans and other small things. During spawning, almost 100 million eggs are laid, a significant part of which goes to feed others
This fish is quite large: it grows more than 3 m in length and can weigh up to 100 kg. Having a streamlined elongated body with special grooves that significantly reduce friction on the water, the sailboat is capable of reaching enormous speeds - over 105 km/h! Therefore, the sailfish rightfully shares the title of “fastest fish in the world” with the swordfish. It is a desirable trophy for fisherman, but the law requires that the sailfish be released after catching, so interest in this fish is mainly sporting.
Marlin
It also claims to be the fastest fish. There are blue or blue, black, striped and white marlin. It is known that black marlin is capable of reaching simply enormous speeds, exceeding 95 km/h.
Marlins inhabit all oceans (except the Arctic). They hunt small fish together. Several predators drive a school of sardines to the surface of the water, and the rest, jumping out and falling back into the sea, drown out the fish. A school of 9-12 marlin can catch a couple of tons of sardines in an hour. This large fish has a body length of 3-4 m on average, but there have been cases of catching marlins 5 m long and weighing more than 500 kg. Due to their spear-like elongated nose, these fish are sometimes identified with swordtails, but this is a mistake.
Other sprinters
Wahoo fish, like marlin, can rush at speeds of more than 90-95 km/h. Therefore, some sources also claim that the wahoo is the fastest fish in the world. Found everywhere in warm and temperate waters. The body is thin, well streamlined, bluish-silver in color, with very beautiful blue stripes. Interestingly, after the death of the wahoo, these stripes disappear. The average length of the body is equal to or slightly exceeds 2 m. This fish can weigh more than 80 kg. Hunts smaller fish, usually alone. Very tasty fish. Interesting for both industrial fishing and sport fishing.
Tuna are also fast swimmers. They are capable of reaching speeds of over 70 km/h. Bluefin tuna can reach a length of 3 m and weigh 150 kg. The habitat of this fish is very wide. Tunas move in schools and feed on small animals. They are one of the most valuable and expensive commercial fish. Their meat contains a record amount of protein, phosphorus and vitamins. For this reason it is even called sea veal.
Another fish is capable of developing incredibly high speed in pursuit of prey. This is a shark. She is simply the perfect predator. Its streamlined torpedo-shaped body allows it to reach speeds of over 62-65 km/h. The shark's mouth is full of sharp teeth, which are constantly renewed throughout life. The length of the largest whale shark reaches 20 m, and it weighs up to 14 tons.
A few more record holders
Four-winged flying fish. Accelerates to speeds of over 53 km/h. A characteristic feature is the presence of large pectoral and small rear fins, shaped like airplane wings. The color is grey-blue. It grows only up to half a meter in length. This fast fish has very tasty meat, which is why it is a commercial object. It lives in the warm waters of all four oceans. A distinctive characteristic is the ability to glide over the surface of the water for 30-40 seconds with a flight range of up to 200-300 meters. feed on plankton and mollusks.
Atlantic tarpon is a large predatory fish that cuts through the water depths at a speed of 46-48 km/h. The average length is 2 meters, tarpon weighs on average up to 50 kg. Tarpons over 2 m long and weighing about 150 kg were found in nature. Externally, the fish looks like a large herring. The forward jaw gives her an aggressive appearance. Because of its well-defined silver scales, it is called the silver king. Female tarpon are very prolific, laying up to 12 million eggs during the breeding season. This fish is a coveted trophy for sport fishing, but its meat, unfortunately, is tasteless.