Common names: sailfish (English), pez-vela (Espanol)
 
Istiophorus platypterus (Shaw in Shaw & Nodder, 1792)


Sailfish


Body fairly compressed; bill long, slender, rounded in cross section; adults with small teeth; 1st  dorsal long based, sail like, much higher than body depth, close to 2nd  dorsal, 1st  42-49 rays, 2nd  6-7 rays; pectorals long and pointed, 18-20 rays; pelvic fins very long, depressible into a groove, reach almost to anus; 2 anal fins, 1st  12-17 rays, 2nd  6-7 rays; 2 keels on side of tail base; tail fin large, strongly forked; body covered with small, triangular scales.


Dark blue dorsally, light blue blotched with brown laterally, and silvery white ventrally; ~ 20 rows of vertical bars on sides, each composed of many light blue round spots; membrane of first dorsal fin dark blue or blackish blue, with scattered, small black spots; remaining fins blackish brown to dark blue.

Size: grows to 360 cm; all-tackle world record 100.24 Kg.

Habitat: coastal and oceanic pelagic.

Depth: 0-30 m.

Circumtropical in tropical and temperate seas; southern California to the lower 3/4 of the Gulf of California to Peru and the oceanic islands.

Note: Other than the fact that Indo-Pacific fish reach a larger size than Atlantic fish (100kg vs 60kg) there are no morphological differences between the two (see Collette et al 2006).