Page 86 - Mexico Diving From the Caribbean to Pacific Isles

eing at the top of their ocean food swim through the fish school at high speed, ailfish grow quickly, reaching 1.2–1.5
meters in length in a single year, and
B chain, billfish don’t have regular Sslashing left and right, and then circle back
predators, but they are occasionally eaten, to eat the fish they stunned. They swallow feed on the surface or at mid-depths on

particularly in their juvenile stages, by their catch whole, head-first. smaller pelagic forage fish and squid.

other large fishes such as tunas, wahoo, G iven the speed and power of these Individuals have been clocked at speeds of
and dolphin fishes. They work together to fish, when they do spear things the re- up to 110 kilometers per hour (68 miles per
drive schools of bait fish to the surface and hour), which is one of the highest speeds

use their dorsal fin to herd the school into sults can be dramatic. Predators of billfish, reliably reported in any water organism.

a tighter and tighter ball. They are found such as Great White and Mako sharks, have The “sail” in the name sailfish refers to the

near the ocean surface usually far from been found with billfish spears embedded prominent first dorsal fin, which is taller

land feeding on schools of smaller fish like in them. Billfish can accidentally impale than the fish’s greatest body depth. The sail

sardines and anchovies, which they often boats and other floating objects when they folds along the top of the fish and can open

shepherd with their sails, making them easy pursue the small fish that aggregate around up in an instant. Sailfish often pop their

prey. They also feast on squid and octopus. them. Care is needed when attempting to sails while feeding, perhaps to startle their

S ailfish are fairly abundant through- land a hooked billfish. Many fishermen have prey. The sail is normally kept folded down
out their range, and their population been injured, some seriously, by a billfish and to the side when swimming, but it may
thrashing its bill about. They swat or bat be raised when the sailfish feels threatened

is considered stable. They are under no their bills from side to side in order to stun or excited, making the fish appear much

special status or protections. Sailfish use their prey, feeding on the fish until they’re larger than it actually is.

their bills to slash at schooling fish. They all gone.