One of the fastest fish
The sailfish is among the fastest swimmers in the sea, built for sudden bursts of speed.
Open ocean
Sailfish
Istiophorus platypterus
A slim, steel-blue fish with a long, pointed bill and a huge sail of a fin down its back.
- Size
- Up to 3m long
- Look for it
- All year round
- Where
- Warm waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans
Streaks after you, bill first. Move your pointer and see.
When to look
Sailfish
Good to know
Six things about the sailfish
A sail that folds
It keeps the sail folded down to swim fast, and raises it to herd fish and to turn sharply.
A sword, used gently
It slashes its bill through a shoal to stun fish, rather than spearing them.
Flashing colours
When it is excited its body flashes blue and silver stripes, which may confuse its prey.
Hunting in a group
Sailfish work together to drive sardines into a ball, then take turns to strike.
Growing up fast
A sailfish can grow from a tiny egg to more than a metre long in its first year.
The real thing
Photos of the sailfish
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Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
How to spot one
Off Mexico's Yucatan coast in winter, snorkellers can watch sailfish herding sardines. Look for the tip of a sail cutting the surface.
How to help
Sailfish are caught for sport. Catch-and-release fishing, done carefully, lets them swim away to breed.
Keep going