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Atlantic Sailfish
Family: Istiophoridae
Genus: Istiophorus
species: Istiophorus albicans
Description & Behavior
Billfish include marlin, sailfish, swordfish and spearfish. Marlin, sailfish and
spearfish are members of the family Istiophoridae, and swordfish are members of the family Xiphiidae. In the Atlantic sailfish has little value as a commercial fish, but catching a sailfish is one of the ultimate thrills in saltwater sport fishing. Sailfish catches off the Treasure Coast range from 40 - 180 pounds, can be taken year-round. Sailfish action is normally best early morning and late afternoon.
The sailfish, named after its high, deep blue and black dorsal fin, has a pikelike upper jaw and small scales embedded in its skin. Their average length is 6 ft, although they can reach an impressive 10 feet with females generally larger than males.
Sailfish are best known for their huge, sail-like dorsal fins. This fin
can be up to twice the height of the body of the fish. They are the
most commonly encountered of all the billfishes. Indo-Pacific sailfish
are much larger than their Atlantic counterparts. The first of the fish's two dorsal fins is very long and tall, running most of the length of the body, with the 20th ray as the longest. The fins are all blackish blue except at the anal fin base, which is white.
Sailfish will often first attack in order to kill prey with its bill, circling back to swallow it afterwards. A good tactic for catching sailfish is to drop back after one strikes a trolled bait and free-spool the line so that you can trick the fish into thinking it's stunned the bait. Although artificial baits have been known to catch sailfish, baitfish, such as a mullet, with a more visually attractive artificial bait over it or with its backbone removed, so that it swims more naturally, and with a 2-ounce egg sinker on the hook to keep it just under the wave, works wonders.
World Range & Habitat
Water temperature appears to be a major factor influencing the distribution of billfishes. They are generally found in waters with surface temperatures above 70 degrees F (21 degrees C). Usually found in the warmer, upper layers above the thermocline, the species often migrates into near-shore waters, preferring temperatures between 21° to 28°C, but is also capable of descending to rather deep water. Major currents also play an important role in the distribution and migration of billfishes. Concentrations of sailfish, white marlin and blue marlin are found within or near the Gulf Stream, which flows in a northeasterly direction along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. at varying distances from shore. In the western Atlantic Ocean, its highest abundance is in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic coast of Florida, where it is the official state saltwater fish. Sailfish are pelagic, which means they have to keep moving to breathe. In a strong current, they are more apt to eat more because they don’t have to worry about breathing. Sailfish like the warm waters of the edges of the Gulf Stream, and Stuart Florida is lucky because the Gulf Stream comes in close. The Gulf Stream is like a fish highway for migrating sailfish. Large schools of bait fish are swept along the gulf stream traveling up and down the eastern seaboard attracting trophy sport fish like the Atlantic Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Sailfish, Yellow Fin Tuna, Dolphin (Mahi-Mahi, Dorado) and Wahoo.
Feeding Behavior (Ecology)
The Atlantic sailfish feeds mainly on small pelagic fishes—particularly mackerels, tunas, jacks, halfbeaks, and needlefish—but also eats cephalopods such as squid and octopus. Some feeding occurs at the surface, as well as in midwater, along reef edges, or along the bottom substrate.
Life History
Spawning may begin as early as April, but occurs primarily during the summer months. Off southeast Florida, the Atlantic sailfish moves inshore to shallower waters to spawn near the surface in the warm season, with females swimming sluggishly with their dorsal fins above the water's surface, accompanied by one or more males. Fertilization is external. A 33-kilogram female may shed up to 4.8 million eggs in a single spawning.
Survival Status
The Atlantic sailfish has been driven down to nearly 50% of its sustainable levels, with fewer adults remaining alive each year. U.S. recreational fishermen voluntarily release over 95 percent of all billfish they catch. However the commercial fishing sector is responsible for 99 percent of the incidental kill caused by U.S. vessels. Because longline fishing is the biggest source of billfish mortality worldwide, the United States requires all of its Atlantic longliners, and some of its Pacific fisheries, to use circle hooks, and other nations are adopting them, too. In Brazil, some longliners found that target species such as tuna were more likely to be captured alive on circle hooks and, therefore, to bring higher prices at market because the meat is fresher. If you want to make a difference, longliners are where you do it. Research in the U.S. Atlantic coastal pelagic longline fishery suggests that the use of circle hooks will increase the survival of bycatch species in that fishery. Circle hooks are a win-win product.
The National Marine Fisheries Service manages the sailfish under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. All U.S. flagged commercial vessels are prohibited from selling, retaining, or purchasing Atlantic billfish including sailfish.
