Wonder what it would be like to swim with billfish like Rick Rosenthal in Superfish? This field guide should give you sense of these creatures’ amazing size.
 A human diver is easily dwarfed by adult billfish. The largest species can reach 15 feet in length. |
Black Marlin
The record-breaking black marlin that Alfred C. Glassell, Jr. reeled in off the shore of Peru in 1953 was 14.5 feet long and weighed 1,560 pounds. However, it is believed that the longest black marlin in the sea could reach 15 feet. Black marlin are dark blue on the back, and their bellies are a silvery white. All “granders,” or marlin weighing over 1,000 pounds, are female.
Sailfish
Slimmer and shorter than marlin, sailfish have a long, rounded spear extending from the snout. The largest known sailfish reached 11.4 feet in length. They are distinguishable by their dark backs, silvery bellies, and elegant dorsal sail.
Swordfish
Swordfish are slender and scaleless. Unlike sailfish, the “sword” extending from the swordfish’s snout is flat — not rounded. Swordfish are bluish on the back, sometimes with a purple sheen, and silvery below. While the very largest among them may reach 15 feet in length, a 7-foot-long swordfish is considered very large.
Fascinating! As a resident of the Great Plains, I have had limited exposure to these fish (through only television and books.) I thought that the sailfish and swordfish were the same thing. Thank you for educating me on this topic!
Hi,
Why is it that white marlin are not incuded in your field guide?
It is a crime that such magnificent creatures (billfish, tuna, etc.) are killed by fishermen. Many are endangered or threatened.
Hello,
As Charlie above was saying, you did leave out white marlin but you also missed blue marlin and striped marlin.
And in response to Charlie’s comment about fisherman killing billfish, it is not all fishermen that do. Many sportfishermen enjoy billfishing and practice billfish conservetion through catch and release, the use of circle hooks, etc.
I thoroughly enjoyed the video on the baby sailfish as I nhad never seen that before and found it very interesting.
Thanks,
James
Nature: Great doc on “Superfish”. I commend Rick Rosinthol on his two yr work and educating the rest of us. That HD cam is the best. What a wonder that something so small can grow so big. 1000 lbs is beyond my wildest dream. Sport fishing in the ocean is truly a experence for me, from crabbing to striper fishing, its truly a thrill to be just out in the ocean for a day. But what Rick was talking about in general was: where did all those ghost go from the early 50’s? Well take a look at how Peru has devistated the fishery. Can’t blame the people who harverst the fish, they are just trying to make a living. They aren’t educated on the harm they are doing to fishery. Sad. This truly is a red flag and I hope the “long line fisherman” on the east coast get a clue too! Regards, Tall Paul…..
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