Atlantic sailfish (Istiophorus albicans) is a saltwater species recorded in the United States. It is found at depths of 0–200 m.
Scientific name: Istiophorus albicans · Water: Saltwater
Size: up to 315 cm
The Atlantic sailfish is a pelagic istiophorid usually found in the upper layers of warm water above the thermocline, though it is capable of descending to rather deep water. It often migrates into near-shore waters and occasionally forms schools or smaller groups of three to 30 individuals, but it is often seen in loose aggregations over a wide area. It feeds mainly on small pelagic fishes but also takes bottom-dwelling organisms, and females grow larger than males. Its range covers the Atlantic Ocean in tropical and temperate waters, roughly to 40 degrees north in the north-west Atlantic, 50 degrees north in the north-east, 40 degrees south in the south-west and 32 degrees south in the south-east, and it migrates into the Mediterranean Sea mostly as juveniles; it is a highly migratory species. Maximum length is about 315 cm total length, commonly about 240 cm, and it can live four years, maturing between about 121 and 146 cm. It is a commercial species and a gamefish, utilized fresh, canned and frozen and eaten steamed. Fishing vulnerability is high at 60 of 100 and resilience medium, the price category is high, and climate vulnerability is moderate at 42 of 100.
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