When someone mentions ‘fast’, we always associate the word with an animal like cheetah, or with Usain Bolt or a formula one car or at the very least a bird like the falcon. But never do we associate the word with a fish or any marine species for that matter. Some species of fish can be really fast. The fastest human has been recorded at around 27 mph whereas some fish species can cross 60 mph. That’s more than twice the speed of a human. Astonishing isn’t it.
Here is a list of the top 4 fastest fish or marine species in the planet.
Marlin
Marlins are among the fastest fish in the world. Marlins are identified by their spear like jaw and a tall fin. Their torpedo like body helps them swim really fast. Getting a marlin trapped is a popular sport and reeling one in is quite a challenge too. Based on their colours and patterns, marlins are classified as black, blue, white and striped marlins. Amongst them black marlins are the fastest and hence making them the fastest fish species group in the world. It has been observed that a black marlin swam as fast as 80 mph.
Sailfish
The sailfish is another species that challenges marlins for the topspot in the world’s fastest fish contest. The sailfish is known to grow to a length of about 3m and is characterized by the long dorsal fin resembling a sail. The sail is often found to be in shades of blue and grey. They also have an elongated bill similar to other game fish like swordfish and marlins and are popularly known as billfish amongst the enthusiasts. They burst to speeds in short distances to hunt and generally injure the prey with tiny teeth in their bill by sideward movement of the bill. The injured fish slow down thereby making it easier for the sailfish to catch and feed on them. Though this seems a powerful method, only 24% of their hunting attempts become successful. They have been found to travel at 60-80 mph speed. This makes the sailfish earn a spot in the top 4 fastest fastest marine animals.
Swordfish
Swordfish, another fish with elongated bill, is also one of the fastest sea creatures. They are fish without scales and also considered delicacy in many countries around the world. Their name comes from their sword like bill which they use to slash at prey while hunting. They are migratory fish and are often found in the tropical oceans namely, Atlantic, Pacific and Indian. They can be very fast and though their top speed is unknown they are expected to reach speeds of 60mph to 8 mph based on specific incidents. Swordfish is being recently threatened due to excessive fishing and in the near future may need support from conservatists to get their numbers back up in the ocean.
Wahoo
Wahoo is another tropical fish that finds its way in the top four fastest sea fish in the world. Unlike the other fish in the list, the wahoo does not sport any bill and in fact the wahoo resembles closely to the king mackerel fish. They are known to reach speed of 48 mph and are also very well known to the sports fishermen. Their high quality flesh make them quite the catch and are also part of many game fish sporting events. These are the top 4 fish in the world in terms of speed.
