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hey work together to drive schools of whole, head-first. Given the speed and pow- feed on the surface or at mid-depths on
er of these fish, when they do spear things smaller pelagic forage fish and squid. Indi-
T bait fish to the surface and use their the results can be dramatic. Predators of bill- viduals have been clocked at speeds of up to
fish, such as Great White and Mako sharks, 110 kilometers per hour (68 miles per hour),
dorsal fin to herd the school into a tighter have been found with billfish spears embed- which is one of the highest speeds reliably
and tighter ball. They are found near the ded in them. Billfish can accidentally impale reported in any water organism. The “sail”
ocean surface usually far from land feeding boats and other floating objects when they in the name sailfish refers to the prominent
on schools of smaller fish like sardines and pursue the small fish that aggregate around first dorsal fin, which is taller than the fish’s
anchovies, which they often shepherd with them. Care is needed when attempting to greatest body depth. The sail folds along
their sails, making them easy prey. They also land a hooked billfish. Many fishermen have the top of the fish and can open up in an
feast on squid and octopus. been injured, some seriously, by a billfish instant. Sailfish often pop their sails while
thrashing its bill about. They swat or bat feeding, perhaps to startle their prey. The
S ailfish are fairly abundant throughout their bills from side to side in order to stun sail is normally kept folded down and to the
their range, and their population is con- their prey, feeding on the fish until they’re side when swimming, but it may be raised
sidered stable. They are under no special sta- all gone. when the sailfish feels threatened or excit-
tus or protections. Sailfish use their bills to ed, making the fish appear much larger than
slash at schooling fish. They swim through S ailfish grow quickly, reaching 1.2–1.5 it actually is.
the fish school at high speed, slashing left meters in length in a single year, and
and right, and then circle back to eat the
fish they stunned. They swallow their catch
