| Scientific name: Istiophorus platypterus |  |
| Nome comum: Veleiro; Veleiro-do-Atlântico |
| Common name: Sailfish; Atlantic sailfish |
| Classification: CHORDATA > ACTINOPTERYGII > Perciformes > Istiophoridae |
| Description: A large oceanic sailfish. Body elongate and compressed. Upper jaw prolonged into a slender spear with round cross-section. Nape rising fairly steeply. Two dorsal fins, the first one very large and sail-like, much higher than body depth; second dorsal fin small. Two separate anal fins. Pelvic fins very long. Two horizontal keels on each side of the caudal peduncle. Caudal fin strongly forked. Dark blue dorsally, brow-blue laterally, and silvery white ventrally. First dorsal fin membrane blue-black, covered with many small black spots; other fins are brown-black. It has about 20 vertical bars on the flanks, consisting of several pale blue spots. |
Global Distribution: Worldwide in tropical and temperate waters.
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| FISHERIES |
| Commercial interest: Commercial species. Valued as gamefish. |
| Conservation status: Least concern. |
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| REFERENCES |
Carpenter K.E., ed. (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volume 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae), sea turtles and marine mammals. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5. FAO, Rome, pp. 1375-2127.
Collette B.B., McDowell J.R., Graves J.E. (2006). Phylogeny of recent billfishes (Xiphioidei). Bulletin of Marine Science, 79(3): 455-468.
Froese, R., Pauly D., editors (2011) .FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, (07/2014). www.fishbase.org/summary/Istiophorus-albicans.html
Hureau J.-C., ed. (1984-1985). Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNESCO. Accessed through: Marine Species Identification Portal. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://species-identification.org (2014).
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
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 Fisheries Synopses, 125 vol.5, 65 pp. |
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