Small Spotted Dart

Small Spotted Dart

Guardian: Melissa Marriott

Trachinotus baillonii

These fins are built for speed.

Some fish can travel so fast that it scars their skin.

At high speeds the bubbles rushing past collapse and the mini-shockwaves will actually tear into their flesh.

The majority of reef-dwelling fish have large flat tails that act like paddles and give them rapid thrust or acceleration. Darts and other open water fish like Tuna and Sailfish have forked tails that don’t have that initial thrust but when they pick up speed they can travel much faster because there is less fin dragging through the water.

They can travel so fast in fact, that it hurts.