Do fish die when lightning strikes the ocean?

Question

I've never seen fish wash up after a storm. Weird.

Answer 1

Yes. I suppose how many die would depend on the amount of electrical energy discharged, and the location of the fish.

But what IS a fact is that I've seen dead fish on the shore after a storm. In fact, if a human being happens to be in the water when a lightning strikes, they are likely to die too.

Answer 2

Would the bigger fish eat the dead fish before they washed up on shore.
But I have never seen lightning strike the ocean. I've seen strike things on the ocean boats and what not. I've seen lightning strike the storm clouds, makes a 'u' like curve or even horizontal lightning strikes.
I would think if lightning did strike the ocean it would disperse into little harmless volts and amps because the water conducts electricity and there is a hole lot water in the ocean.

Answer 3

When lightning strikes the ocean, it triggers electrical currents that can kill fish by messing up the signals that control their hearts and other organs. Fortunately for marine life, the currents spread out and weaken until they become too weak to do any harm.

How far away do fish still die? I asked Ewen Thomson, an electrical engineer at the University of Florida who specializes in protecting books from lightning. The "lethal distance," he explained, depends on (1) how much current there is in a lightning bolt and (2) how much current it takes to electrocute a fish. Ichthyologists (fish biologists) sometimes catch fish to study by zapping them with electricity. After talking to one of them, Dr. T calculated that lightning bolts probably don't kill fish more than 20 feet away in salt water, or 200 feet away in fresh water. Currents travel much farther on the surface of the water, though, so surface swimmers—including people—should stay out during storms.

Answer 4

Not all. The explanation is like this. Even if the lighting has thousands (if not millions) of volts it is not enough to electrcute all the sea creatures because the ocean is too big of a load to conduct to the fish. Plus, the salt also reduces the conductance of the water.

Answer 5

If they are close enough to the surface where the lightning strikes, they will die. A dead fish won't float forever. It is likely that they will either sink or be eaten shortly after dying.

Answer 6

Yes, but it depends on if the fish is closer to the water surface. but if the fishes are deep down the water as all fish normally do when it is raining, the lightning can't get them.

Answer 7

Yes, fish within a certain range of the strike..

Answer 8

Yes, those in the general area of the strike. Doubt you would notice many wash up tho. They would be eaten

Answer 9

I guess so because water is a conductor of electricity. So if lightening struck the ocean, any sea creatures that are in it's path will die.

Answer 10

that's because they usually get eaten up by other fish before they have a chance to wash up and fish don't die from it. more like faint.