When some insufferable saltwater-fishing know-it-all tries to tell you bonefish, or permit, or tuna (or whatever) are the "fastest things that swim," you simply smile and then make it clear you’re the insufferable saltwater fishing know-it-all (sorta).
The correct speed champ? Bacteria. Yup, our single-celled friends.
haloplanktis (we think).
From the Blogfish blog:
Who knew ocean bacteria are faster than a cheetah? And even more amazing, who knew that this darting behavior is globally important, possibly impacting climate change? How fast are they exactly?
OK, so how fast are they really? The single rotating flagellum of P. haloplanktis propels it forward at the amazing speed of 500 body lengths per second, way faster than a cheetah’s mere 30 body lengths per second.
That’s relatively blazing fast for the ocean bacteria. Of course, with a body length of 2 microns (0.000002 meters), this relative speed has the microscopic bacteria swimming at the amazing pace of about 10 feet per hour. Wow. That’s just a bit faster than a slug, but slower than a snail.
Clearly, the fly fishing industry are a bunch of loungers; they’ve completely overlooked the lucrative bacteria fly fishing market, where anglers buy the latest in micro-equipment (perhaps we’ve actually found a use for all those Sage toys ultra-light fly rods) and go in hunt of relatively abundant… bacteria.
"Whoa, Roy — that’ll go 2.75, 3 microns at least."
"Yep — she’s a beauty."
I’m already hard at work on this micro-sport’s defining literary work: "Selective haloplanktis"
See you in the oceans, Tom Chandler.
So, I have to get up early this mornign to go to the dentist before work; then rush to work and sit down at my computer so everyone will think I’m working, and come across this. This has something to do with fly fishing, I’m sure; but I can’t make it out. Help me here.
Kentucky Jim(Quote)
I think there is one bacterium on land that’s faster still, it’s the “Slawnonium Digesterius” – able to go from mouth to colon in 2.5 seconds.
Byproducts of the infection are faster, but this is more information than your readership wishes.
kbarton10(Quote)
Sorry, WikiAnswers (????) says the fastest living this is an Anglerfish. And umm… If it’s on the internet… it’s gotta be true.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_fastest_living_creature_on_the_planet&src=ansTT
NickB(Quote)
Faster than 500 body lengths a second? I’d love to see that fish. See, at the Underground, we believe speed is relative.
Tom Chandler(Quote)
Some of those size 32 midge patterns that Dave Roberts ties ought to work nicely……..
Brian
Heddon17(Quote)
Copepods have been reported at 800 body lengths/second, and for an organism that can be 2 mm in length, and seen with the naked eye, that is quite spectacular. Non- believers can check pg 91 of “Copepods in Aquaculture”.
Jim(Quote)