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Sailfish

 

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Sailfish


 
 

Sailfish are two species of fishes in the genusGenus

In the binomial nomenclature used worldwide, the name of an organism is composed of two parts: its genus name and a species...
 Istiophorus, living in warmer sections of all the oceans of the world. They are blue to gray in color and have a characteristic erectile dorsal finDorsal fin

A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of fishes, whales, dolphins and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs....
 known as a sail, which often stretches the entire length of the back. Another notable characteristic is the elongated bill, resembling that of the swordfishFacts About Swordfish

Swordfish are large, highly migratory, predatory fish characterized by a long, flat bill in contrast to the smooth, round bi...
 and other marlinsMarlin

The marlin is a large game fish. It has an elongated body up to 2.5 m long, a spearlike snout, and a long rigid dorsal fin w...
.

Both species of sailfishes grow quickly, reaching 1.2-1.5 mMetre

The metre, or meter , is a measure of length....
 (4-5 ft) in length in a single year, and feed on the surface or at mid-depths on smaller pelagic fishes and squidSquid

Squids are a large, diverse group of marine cephalopods....
. Individuals have been clocked at speeds of up to 110 km/hKilometres per hour

Kilometres per hour is a unit of both speed and velocity....
 (68 mphMiles per hour Summary

Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour....
), which is the highest speed reliably reported in a fish. Generally, sailfish do not grow to more than 3 m (10 ft) in length and rarely weigh over 90 kgKilogram

The kilogram or kilogramme, is the SI base unit of mass....
 (200 lbPound (mass)

The pound is the name of a unit of mass in a number of different systems, including various systems of units of mass that f...
), although larger specimens have been seen off the shores of Costa RicaCosta Rica

Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica , is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the nort...
.

The sail is normally kept folded down and to the side when swimming, but it may be raised when the sailfish feels threatened or excited, making the fish appear much larger than it actually is. This tactic has also been observed during feeding, when a group of sailfish use their sails to "herd" a school of fish or squidSquid Overview

Squids are a large, diverse group of marine cephalopods....
.

Sailfish are highly prized game fishGame fish

A game fish is any freshwater or marine species of fish pursued for sport by recreationalists....
 and are known for their incredible jumps.

Species

  • Atlantic sailfishAtlantic sailfish

    The Atlantic sailfish is a species of marine fish in family Istiophoridae of order Perciformes....
     (Istiophorus albicans).
  • Indo-Pacific sailfishIndo-Pacific sailfish

    The Indo-Pacific sailfish, Istiophorus platypterus, is a sailfish native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans....
     (Istiophorus platypterus).

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