Istiophorus platypterus
Spindlebeack, Bayonetfish
The Atlantic Sailfish has a long, high first dorsal which is slate or cobalt blue with a scattering of black spots. The second dorsal fin is very small. The bill is longer than that of the spearfish, usually a little more than twice the length of the elongated lower jaw. The vent is just forward of the first anal fin. The sides often have pale, bluish gray vertical bars or rows of spots.
They appear to feed mostly in midwater along the edges of reefs or current eddies.
Atlantic sailfish migrate extensively throughout the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
They inhabit tropical and subtropical waters near land masses, usually in depths over 6 fathoms, but occasionally they are caught in lesser depths and from ocean piers.
The Atlantic sailfish is about 1/2 the size of the Pacific, averaging 25-50 pounds and 6-8 feet in length.
141 pounds, 1 ounce (IGFA)