BBC - Wildlife Finder - Atlantic sailfish (video, facts and news)

Atlantic sailfish are found in tropical and temperate parts of the Atlantic Ocean, though juveniles have been found in the Mediterranean Sea. Adults can weigh up to 60kg. Females grow larger than the males.

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About the Atlantic sailfish

The Atlantic sailfish, Istiophorus albicans, is a species of marine fish in the family Istiophoridae of the order Perciformes. It is found in the Atlantic Oceans and the Caribbean Sea, except for large areas of the central North Atlantic and the central South Atlantic, from the surface to depths of 200 m. The Atlantic Sailfish is related to the Marlin.

Tests in the 1920s estimated that they were capable of short sprints of up to 111 kilometres per hour, however, a more conservative estimates of 37 to 55 kilometres per hour are more widely accepted .

Atlantic sailfish hunt schooling fishes, such as sardines, anchovies and mackerel although they also feed on crustaceans and cephalopods.