Sperm motility of salmonid fishes is suppressed by external $K^{+}$ and initiated by decrease of $K^{+}$ concentration surrounding the sperm. It was shown that the decrease in external $K^{+}$ concentration induced not only the initiation of sperm motility, but also hyperpolarization of the plasma membrane and synthesis of cAMP in the sperm of rainbow trout, steelhead trout, and masu salmon. Inhibitors of $K^{+}$ channels, especially voltage-dependent $K^{+}$ channels, inhibited these three reactions, and the inhibitions were abolished by subsequent addition of a $K^{+}$ ionophore, valinomycin, suggesting that $K^{+}$ efflux through the $K^{+}$ channel contributes to rapid changes in the membrane potential of sperm and cAMP synthesis, thereby resulting in the initiation of sperm motility of salmonid fishes.