{{Short description|Genus of fishes}} {{Other uses}} {{more citations needed|date=May 2026}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = Sailfish | fossil_range = {{fossilrange|59|0}}Paleogene to present<ref>{{Cite journal |year=2002 |title=A compendium of fossil marine animal genera |url=http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=611&rank=class |journal=Bulletins of American Paleontology |volume=364 |page=560 |access-date=2008-01-08}}</ref> | image = Sailfish (Duane Raver).png | image_caption = Atlantic sailfish | image2 = Naturalis Biodiversity Center - RMNH.ART.194 - Istiophorus platypterus (Shaw and Nodder) - Kawahara Keiga - 1823 - 1829 - Siebold Collection - new version.jpeg | image2_caption =Indo-Pacific sailfish | status = VU | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref>{{cite journal |author1=Collette, B. |author2=Acero, A. |author3=Amorim, A.F. |author4=Boustany, A. |author5=Canales Ramirez, C. |author6=Cardenas, G. |author7=Carpenter, K.E. |author8=de Oliveira Leite Jr. N. |author9=Di Natale, A. |author10=Die, D. |author11=Fox, W. |author12=Fredou, F.L. |author13=Graves, J. |author14=Guzman-Mora, A. |author15=Viera Hazin, F.H. |author16=Hinton, M. |author17=Juan Jorda, M. |author18=Minte Vera, C. |author19=Miyabe, N. |author20=Montano Cruz, R. |author21=Nelson, R. |author22=Oxenford, H. |author23=Restrepo, V. |author24=Salas, E. |author25=Schaefer, K. |author26=Schratwieser, J. |author27=Serra, R. |author28=Sun, C. |author29=Teixeira Lessa, R.P. |author30=Pires Ferreira Travassos, P.E. |author31=Uozumi, Y. |author32=Yanez, E. |display-authors=3 |year=2022 |title=''Istiophorus platypterus'' |journal=The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |volume=2022 |page=e.T170338A46649664 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022.RLTS.T170338A46649664.en|doi-broken-date=12 July 2025 }}</ref><br/>(Note that the IUCN recognizes one sailfish species) | taxon = Istiophorus | authority = Lacépède, 1801 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = *''Istiophorus albicans'' {{small|(Latreille, 1804)}} *''Istiophorus platypterus'' {{small|(G. Shaw, 1792)}} | synonyms = * ''Histiophorus'' {{small|G. Cuvier, 1832}} * ''Nothistium'' {{small|Hermann, 1804}} * ''Zanclurus'' {{small|Swainson, 1839}} | type_species = ''Scomber gladius'' | type_species_authority = {{small|(G. Shaw, 1792)}} }}
[[File:Pacific-sailfish.jpg|thumb|An Indo-Pacific sailfish raising its sail]] [[File:Portrait of author Ernest Hemingway posing with sailfish Key West, Florida.jpg|thumb|upright|Author Ernest Hemingway in Key West, Florida, USA, in the 1940s, with a sailfish he had caught ]]
The '''sailfish''' is one or two species of marine fish in the genus '''''Istiophorus''''', which belong to the family Istiophoridae (marlins). They are predominantly blue to gray in color and have a characteristically large dorsal fin known as the sail, which often stretches the entire length of the back. Another notable characteristic is the elongated rostrum (bill) consistent with that of other marlins and the swordfish, which together constitute what are known as billfish in sport fishing circles. Sailfish live in colder pelagic waters of all Earth's oceans, and hold the record for the highest speed of any marine animal.
==Species== There is a dispute based on the taxonomy of the sailfish, and either one or two species have been recognized.<ref name=fishbase>{{FishBase genus | genus = Istiophorus | month = April | year = 2013}}</ref><ref name=australianmuseum>McGrouther, M. (2013). ''[https://australian.museum/learn/animals/fishes/sailfish-istiophorus-platypterus/ Sailfish, Istiophorus platypterus.]'' Australian Museum. Retrieved 26 April 2013.</ref> No differences have been found in mtDNA, morphometrics or meristics between the two supposed species and most authorities now only recognize a single species, ''Istiophorus platypterus'', found in warmer oceans around the world.<ref name=australianmuseum/><ref>{{Cite iucn | author = Collette, B. | author2 = Acero, A. | author3 = Amorim, A.F. | author4 = Boustany, A. | author5 = Canales Ramirez, C. | author6 = Cardenas, G. | author7 = Carpenter, K.E. | author8 = de Oliveira Leite Jr., N. | author9 = Di Natale, A. | author10 = Die, D. | display-authors = etal | title = ''Istiophorus platypterus'' | volume = 2011 | article-number = e.T170338A6754507 | date = 2011 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T170338A6754507.en }}</ref><ref name=flmnh>Gardieff, S: ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20040501190625/http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/Sailfish/Sailfish.html Sailfish.]'' Florida Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 26 April 2013.</ref><ref>Collette, B.B., McDowell, J.R. and Graves, J.E. (2006). ''Phylogeny of Recent billfishes (Xiphioidei).'' Bull. Mar. Sci. 79(3): 455–468.</ref> FishBase continues to recognize two species:<ref name=fishbase/> * Atlantic sailfish (''I. albicans'') * Indo-Pacific sailfish (''I. platypterus'')
==Description == Considered by many scientists the fastest fish in the ocean,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/fastest-fish.html|title=What is the fastest fish in the ocean?|last=US Department of Commerce|first=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|website=oceanservice.noaa.gov|language=EN-US|access-date=2019-11-09}}</ref> sailfish were previously estimated to reach maximum swimming speeds of {{convert|35|m/s|km/h mph|round=5|abbr=on}}, but research published in 2015 and 2016 indicate sailfish do not exceed speeds between {{convert|10-15|m/s|km/h mph|round=5|abbr=on}}. During predator–prey interactions, sailfish reached burst speeds of {{convert|7|m/s|km/h mph|round=5|abbr=on}} and did not surpass {{convert|10|m/s|km/h mph|round=5|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Marras2015>Marras S, Noda T, Steffensen JF, Svendsen MBS, Krause J, Wilson ADM, Kurvers RHJM, Herbert-Read J & Domenic P 2015) [https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/55/4/719/634534/Not-So-Fast-Swimming-Behavior-of-Sailfish-during?searchresult=1 "Not so fast: swimming behavior of sailfish during predator–prey interactions using high-speed video and accelerometry"]. ''Integrative and Comparative Biology'' '''55''': 718–727.</ref><ref name="Svendsen2016">Svendsen MBS, Domenici P, Marras S, Krause J, Boswell KM, Rodriguez-Pinto I, Wilson ADM, Kurvers RHJM, Viblanc PE, Finger JS & Steffensen JF (2016) [https://journals.biologists.com/bio/article/5/10/1415/1485/Maximum-swimming-speeds-of-sailfish-and-three "Maximum swimming speeds of sailfish and other large marine predatory fish species based on muscle contraction time: A myth revisited"]. ''Biology Open'', '''5''': 1415–1419.</ref>
Sailfish grow quickly, reaching {{convert|1.2|-|1.5|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} in length in a single year, and feed on the surface or at middle depths on smaller pelagic forage fish and squid. Generally, sailfish do not grow to more than {{convert|3|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} in length and rarely weigh over {{convert|90|kg|lb|abbr=off}}.
Some sources indicate that sailfish are capable of changing colors as a method of confusing prey, displaying emotion, and/or communicating with other sailfish.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shadravan |first1=Soudeh |last2=Naji |first2=Hamid Reza |last3=Bardsiri |first3=Vahid Khatibi |title=The Sailfish Optimizer: A novel nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithm for solving constrained engineering optimization problems |journal=Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence |page=21 |url=http://text2fa.ir/wp-content/uploads/Text2fa.ir-The-Sailfish-Optimizer-A-novel-nature-inspired-metaheuristic-algorithm-1.pdf |access-date=23 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Gardieff |first1=Susie |title=Istiophorus platypterus |url=https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/istiophorus-platypterus/ |website=Florida Museum of Natural History |date=9 May 2017 |access-date=23 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sailfish |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/group/sailfish/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708230440/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/group/sailfish/ |archive-date=July 8, 2017 |website=National Geographic |date=11 November 2010 |access-date=23 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mohammed |first1=Nicholas J. |title=Istiophorus albicans (Atlantic Sailfish) |journal=The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago |date=2015 |url=https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Istiophorus_albicans%20-%20Atlantic%20Sailfish.pdf |access-date=23 December 2020}}</ref>
Sailfish have been documented attacking humans in self-defense; a {{convert|100|lb|kg|abbr=off|adj=on}} sailfish stabbed a woman in the groin when her party tried to catch it.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Hannah Sarisohn and Carlos Suarez |title=Woman on fishing boat off Florida coast stabbed by 100-pound fish |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/24/us/florida-sailfish-stabs-woman/index.html |access-date=2022-07-24 |website=CNN|date=24 July 2022 }}</ref>
==Hunting behavior== Sailfish have been reported to use their bills for hitting schooling fish by tapping (short-range movement) or slashing (horizontal large-range movement) at them.<ref name="Domenici2014">Domenici P, Wilson ADM, Kurvers RHJM, Marras S, Herbert-Read JE, Steffensen JF, Krause S, Viblanc PE, Couillaud P & Krause J (2014) [http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/281/1784/20140444 "How sailfish use their bill to capture schooling prey"]. ''Proceedings of the Royal Society London B'', '''281''': 20140444.</ref>
The sail is normally kept folded down when swimming and only raised when the sailfish attack their prey. The raised sail has been shown to reduce sideways oscillations of the head, which is likely to make the bill less detectable by prey fish.<ref name="Marras2015" /> This strategy allows sailfish to put their bills close to fish schools or even into them without being noticed by the prey before hitting them.<ref name="Domenici2014" /><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VISEHbpHkn4 Sailfish Hunting Sardines] – ''Youtube''.</ref>
Sailfish usually attack one at a time, and the small teeth on their bills inflict injuries on their prey fish in terms of scale and tissue removal. Typically, about two prey fish are injured during a sailfish attack, but only 24% of attacks result in capture. As a result, injured fish increase in number over time in a fish school under attack. Given that injured fish are easier to catch, sailfish benefit from the attacks of their conspecifics but only up to a particular group size.<ref name=Herbert-Read2016>Herbert-Read JE, Romanczuk P, Krause S, Strömbom D, Couillaud P, Domenici P, Kurvers RHJM, Marras S, Steffensen JF, Wilson ADM & Krause J (2016) [http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/283/1842/20161671 "Group hunting sailfish alternate their attacks on their grouping prey to facilitate hunting success"]. ''Proceedings of the Royal Society London B'', '''283''': 20161671.</ref> A mathematical model showed that sailfish in groups of up to 70 individuals should gain benefits in this way. The underlying mechanism was termed proto-cooperation because it does not require any spatial coordination of attacks and could be a precursor to more complex forms of group hunting.<ref name=Herbert-Read2016 />
The bill movement of sailfish during attacks on fish is usually either to the left or to the right side. Identification of individual sailfish based on the shape of their dorsal fins identified individual preferences for hitting to the right or left side. The strength of this side preference was positively correlated with capture success.<ref name=Kurvers2017>Kurvers RHJM, Krause S, Viblanc PE, Herbert-Read JE, Zalansky P, Domenici P, Marras S, Steffensen JF, Wilson ADM, Couillaud P & Krause J (2017) [http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(16)31525-1 "The evolution of lateralisation in group hunting sailfish"]. ''Current Biology''.</ref> These side-preferences are believed to be a form of behavioral specialization that improves performance. However, a possibility exists that sailfish with strong side preferences could become predictable to their prey because fish could learn after repeated interactions in which direction the predator will hit. Given that individuals with right- and left-sided preferences are about equally frequent in sailfish populations, living in groups possibly offers a way out of this predictability. The larger the sailfish group, the greater the possibility that individuals with right- and left-sided preferences are about equally frequent. Therefore, prey fish should find it hard to predict in which direction the next attack will take place. Taken together, these results suggest a potential novel benefit of group hunting which allows individual predators to specialize in their hunting strategy without becoming predictable to their prey.<ref name=Kurvers2017 />
The injuries that sailfish inflict on their prey appear to reduce their swimming speeds, with injured fish being more frequently found in the back (compared with the front) of the school than uninjured ones. When a sardine school is approached by a sailfish, the sardines usually turn away and flee in the opposite direction. As a result, the sailfish usually attacks sardine schools from behind, putting at risk those fish that are the rear of the school because of their reduced swimming speeds.<ref name=Krause2017>Krause J and Ruxton GD (2002) [https://books.google.com/books?id=HAoUFfVFtMcC&q=Living+in+Groups ''Living in Groups''] Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|9780198508182}}</ref>
== Habitat == The sailfish is an epipelagic and oceanic species and shows a strong tendency to approach continental coasts, islands and reefs in tropical and temperate waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}
Sailfish in some areas are reliant on coral reefs as areas for feeding and breeding. As witnessed in the Persian Gulf, the disappearance of coral reefs in a sailfish's habitat may be followed by the disappearance of the species from that area.<ref>{{Cite web|last=John|first=Smithson|date=1 January 2009|title=Sailfish disappearance|url=https://www.timeoutdubai.com/sports-wellbeing/sport-wellbeing-features/3716-the-end-of-fishing-in-dubai|website=Timeoutdubai}}</ref>
== Predators == When freshly hatched, sailfish are hunted by other fishes that mainly survive on eating plankton. The size of their predators increases as they grow, and adult sailfish are not eaten by anything other than larger predatory fish like open ocean shark species and orcas.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}
==Timeline== <timeline> ImageSize = width:1000px height:auto barincrement:15px PlotArea = left:10px bottom:50px top:10px right:10px
Period = from:-65.5 till:10 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:-65.5 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:-65.5 TimeAxis = orientation:hor AlignBars = justify
Colors = #legends id:CAR value:claret id:ANK value:rgb(0.4,0.3,0.196) id:HER value:teal id:HAD value:green id:OMN value:blue id:purple value:purple id:white value:white id:cenozoic value:rgb(0.54,0.54,0.258) id:paleogene value:rgb(0.99,0.6,0.32) id:paleocene value:rgb(0.99,0.65,0.37) id:eocene value:rgb(0.99,0.71,0.42) id:oligocene value:rgb(0.99,0.75,0.48) id:neogene value:rgb(0.999999,0.9,0.1) id:miocene value:rgb(0.999999,0.999999,0) id:pliocene value:rgb(0.97,0.98,0.68) id:quaternary value:rgb(0.98,0.98,0.5) id:pleistocene value:rgb(0.999999,0.95,0.68) id:holocene value:rgb(0.999,0.95,0.88)
BarData= bar:eratop bar:space bar:periodtop bar:space bar:NAM1 bar:NAM2 bar:NAM3 bar:NAM4
bar:space bar:period bar:space bar:era
PlotData= align:center textcolor:black fontsize:M mark:(line,black) width:25 shift:(7,-4)
bar:periodtop from: -65.5 till: -55.8 color:paleocene text:Paleocene from: -55.8 till: -33.9 color:eocene text:Eocene from: -33.9 till: -23.03 color:oligocene text:Oligocene from: -23.03 till: -5.332 color:miocene text:Miocene from: -5.332 till: -2.588 color:pliocene text:Plio. from: -2.588 till: -0.0117 color:pleistocene text:Pleist. from: -0.0117 till: 0 color:holocene text:H.
bar:eratop from: -65.5 till: -23.03 color:paleogene text:Paleogene from: -23.03 till: -2.588 color:neogene text:Neogene from: -2.588 till: 0 color:quaternary text:Q.
PlotData= align:left fontsize:M mark:(line,white) width:5 anchor:till align:left
color:eocene bar:NAM1 from: -55.8 till: 0 text: Pseudohistiophorus color:miocene bar:NAM2 from: -23.03 till: 0 text: Tetrapterus color:miocene bar:NAM3 from: -15.97 till: 0 text: Istiophorus color:miocene bar:NAM4 from: -11.608 till: 0 text: Makaira
PlotData= align:center textcolor:black fontsize:M mark:(line,black) width:25
bar:period from: -65.5 till: -55.8 color:paleocene text:Paleocene from: -55.8 till: -33.9 color:eocene text:Eocene from: -33.9 till: -23.03 color:oligocene text:Oligocene from: -23.03 till: -5.332 color:miocene text:Miocene from: -5.332 till: -2.588 color:pliocene text:Plio. from: -2.588 till: -0.0117 color:pleistocene text:Pleist. from: -0.0117 till: 0 color:holocene text:H.
bar:era from: -65.5 till: -23.03 color:paleogene text:Paleogene from: -23.03 till: -2.588 color:neogene text:Neogene from: -2.588 till: 0 color:quaternary text:Q.
</timeline>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}} * Schultz, Ken (2003) [https://books.google.com/books?id=09SA7lO-DJwC&dq=sailfish&pg=PA162 ''Ken Schultz's Field Guide to Saltwater Fish''] pp. 162–163, John Wiley & Sons. {{ISBN|9780471449959}}.
==External links== {{Commons category|Istiophorus}} {{Wikispecies|Istiophorus}} * ''National Geographic'' [https://web.archive.org/web/20170708230440/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/group/sailfish/ story on sailfish]
{{Billfish}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q127497}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Extant Paleogene first appearances Category:Sailfish