Fish Speed

[PaulineMi]

I've often wondered how fast a fish actually goes when it darts away when startled. Does anyone know if this has ever been captured by something like a radar gun?  It seems like fish can move very quickly with that sharp burst of speed.

[Mugwump]

I've seen an adult angel, in a spawning battle, go flat, and then go across a 75gal tank faster than a blink....amazing speed and strength there. Interesting question, Pauline...you'd likely need a cop's radar gun to capture it tho.....

[PaulineMi]

Don't know about the darting speed but found this...http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2005618/The-fastest-fish-planet-swim-ocean-75mph-packs-hunting-sardines.html

[Mugwump]

Don't know about the darting speed but found this...http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2005618/The-fastest-fish-planet-swim-ocean-75mph-packs-hunting-sardines.html

Zounds!!!....I'll bet there's others just as fast, if not faster tho.....barracuda are awfully quick too...

[BillT]

Here is a interactive chart of the swimming speed of various animals, including some peguins and mammals:
http://www.speedofanimals.com/water?u=i
make sure that water, speed, and feet are clicked in the gray box.

Speed could be approximated by looking at movie frames and measuring the distance moved. distance/time per frame = speed

Speed is how rapid movement is.
Quickness is how fast they rapidly they respond to a stimulus. Almost all fish have a very large neuron (Mauthner cell) on each side of their hindbrain which receives inputs from the ear and lateral line among other things. These cells trigger escape responses very rapidly, probably in less than 15 millli-seconds (1,000 milli-seconds/second). There are four synapses (jumps from one neuron to the next in the circuit):
one from sensory receptor cell to sensory neuron
one from sensory neuron to the Mauthner cell
one from the M-cell to the motor neurons
one from the motor neurons to the muscles

It takes about 2 milli-seconds to get across a synapse.

The large size of the M-cell endows it with fast neural conduction, getting the signal to the next cell.

[Mugwump]

Thanks Bill......nice info there...