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Istiophorus platypterus (Shaw, 1792)
Indo-Pacific sailfish
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| Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050 |
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| Istiophorus platypterus AquaMaps Data sources: GBIF OBIS |
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Istiophorus platypterus
Picture by University of Western Australia (UWA)
Pictures | Stamps, coins, misc. | Google image
Picture by University of Western Australia (UWA)
Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) > Carangiformes (Jacks) > Istiophoridae (Billfishes)
Etymology: Istiophorus: Greek, istios = sail + Greek, pherein = to carry (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Shaw.
Etymology: Istiophorus: Greek, istios = sail + Greek, pherein = to carry (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Shaw.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology
Marine; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 200 m (Ref. 54238), usually 30 - ? m (Ref. 9688). Subtropical; 50°N - 43°S, 180°W - 180°E (Ref. 43)
Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri
Indo-Pacific: tropical and temperate waters approximately 45°- 50°N and 40°-35°S in the western Pacific, 35°N and 35°S in the eastern Pacific; 45°S in western Indian Ocean and 35°S in eastern Indian Ocean. Entered Mediterranean Sea from Red sea via Suez Canal. Highly migratory species. Some authors recognize a single worldwide species, Istiophorus platypterus (Shaw & Nodder 1792) but we follow Nakamura 1990 (Ref. 10820) retaining the usage of Istiophorus platypterus for the Indo-Pacific sailfish and Istiophorus albicans for the Atlantic sailfish in recognition of the differences between them.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - 150 cm
Max length : 348 cm FL male/unsexed; (Ref. 40637); common length : 270 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9308); max. published weight: 100.2 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 13 years (Ref. 53742)
Max length : 348 cm FL male/unsexed; (Ref. 40637); common length : 270 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9308); max. published weight: 100.2 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 13 years (Ref. 53742)
Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 47 - 53; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 12 - 15. This species is distinguished by the following characters: slender elongate and fairly compressed with a high, sail-like first dorsal fin; upper jaw prolonged into a very long beak, slender and round in cross-section; jaws and palatines with villiform teeth; no gill rakers; two dorsal fins, the first very large (42-49 rays) the second small (6-7 rays); pectoral fins 18-20 rays; pelvic fins I, 2 soft rays fused together, very long and narrow, depressible into a groove; caudal peduncle with double keels on each side; body covered with small, embedded scales with 1 or 2 blunt points. Colour of back dark with about 20 bluish vertical bars; belly pale silver; membrane of first dorsal fin blue- black with numerous dark spots; bases of first and second anal fins often tinged with silvery white; remaining fins blackish brown or dark blue (Ref. 43, 26938).
Oceanic and epipelagic species usually found above the thermocline. Most densely distributed in waters close to coasts and islands (Ref. 9688). Most likely schools by size. Undergoes spawning migrations in the Pacific. Feeds mainly on fishes, crustaceans and cephalopods. Caught mainly with longlines, set nets, and sometimes by trolling and harpooning from boats (Ref. 43). Utilized fresh, smoked and frozen; also used for sashimi and sushi; eaten broiled and baked (Ref. 9987).
Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Seems to spawn throughout the year in tropical and subtropical waters of the Pacific with peak spawning occurring in the respective local summer seasons. Spawning occurs with males and females swimming in pairs or with two or three males chasing a single female (probably a mating behavior). The ripe ovarian eggs are about 0.85 mm in diameter and have a single oil globule; there are no structures on the vitalize membrane and the egg is transparent. Eggs shed from captured female in the Indian Ocean averaged 1.304 mm in diameter.
Main reference
Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators
Nakamura, I., 1985. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 5. Billfishes of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of marlins, sailfishes, spearfishes and swordfishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(5):65p. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 43)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Vulnerable (VU) (A2bd); Date assessed: 01 May 2021
CITES
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
FAO - Fisheries: landings, species profile; Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us
More information
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
Heterozygosity
Heritability
Genetics
Heterozygosity
Heritability
Tools
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Internet sources
AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Fisheries: landings, species profile; Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | GoMexSI (interaction data) | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 18.2 - 27.7, mean 25.6 °C (based on 513 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD50 = 0.7505 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00589 (0.00273 - 0.01268), b=3.14 (2.94 - 3.34), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.5 ±0.3 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (rm=0.11; K=0.4-0.8; tmax=13; Fec=>2M).
Prior r = 0.38, 95% CL = 0.25 - 0.57, Based on 1 full stock assessment.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate vulnerability (41 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649): Moderate to high vulnerability (48 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref. 124155): Calcium = 26.2 [12.9, 42.4] mg/100g; Iron = 0.856 [0.511, 1.406] mg/100g; Protein = 19.6 [18.4, 20.6] %; Omega3 = 0.209 [0.114, 0.374] g/100g; Selenium = 44.7 [23.7, 83.1] μg/100g; VitaminA = 6.44 [2.15, 18.92] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.364 [0.257, 0.521] mg/100g (wet weight);