Fast-starts are brief, sudden accelerations used by fish during predat
or-prey encounters. The kinematics and performance of fish during fast
-start manoeuvres have received a lot of attention since they may dete
rmine the outcome of predator-prey interactions in terms of feeding su
ccess or survival. We will discuss recent progress on (1) the kinemati
cs of escape responses and feeding strikes, (2) the fast-start perform
ance of species with different body morphologies and from different ha
bitats, and (3) the functional significance of fast-start kinematics a
nd performance within the context of predator-prey interactions.