Understanding predator-prey interactions is crucial in ecological research, with timing and kinematics of escape responses greatly affecting animal survival to predator attacks. However, little is known about the escape responses of elasmobranchs, or chondrichthyans. In this study, we investigated the escape responses in the spotted ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei), a smaller chondrichthyan predator found in the Puget Sound, to compare its ability to perform fast-start escape behaviour against other chondrichthyan species that inhabit the same region. Previous work has found that adult ratfish possess Mauthner cells (M-cells), a key neural element associated with fast reactions in the escape responses of teleost fish and larval amphibians, though not known to be present in other adult chondrichthyans. Escape responses were elicited using mechanical stimuli for nine individuals, and videos were analysed to quantify response latencies, and turning angles and rates. Results indicated that ratfish do perform fast-start escape responses, with variations in response characteristics across individuals. The ratfish had a shorter minimum latency (36ms) when compared to the spiny dogfish (Squalus suckleyi) (66.7ms), an elasmobranch found in the Puget Sound that does not have M-cells. These findings contribute to our understanding of predator-prey dynamics in chondrichthyan species.