Kona Fish Spotlight Part Two: Ten Cool Facts About Sailfish

At Kona Fishing Charters, you will get to see all sorts of amazing fish from the Pacific Sailfish to the Mahi Mahi fish. We thought our readers might enjoy 10 cool facts about each of these spectacular Kona fish that you’ll see with us at Kona Fishing Charters. Today’s blog article is dedicated to the Sailfish, which you will hopefully see when you fish with us!

Ten Cool Facts about Pacific Sailfish:

1. The sailfish are related to the marlin and swordfish, as they belong to the Istiophoridae family of fish. They are also classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Osteichthyes, order Perciformes. This means that much of their appearance, and sometimes their behavior, can be similar to the marlin and swordfish.
2. The sailfish is considered a saltwater fish, and the sailfish is typically found in warm and temperate waters, in both the Atlantic and the Pacific. The sailfish usually stay near the surface as they prefer water temperatures that range from 70 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. The sailfish grows to be this length and weight. Their range is from 6 feet to 11 feet long, the longer ones are typically found in the Pacific. In the Atlantic, sailfish average out at a mere 60 pounds, while in the Pacific, the sailfish’s average weight is 100 pounds. Another reason to fish for sailfish in the Pacific!
4. The sailfish was named for its looks, as it has a wide, high dorsal fin, that is almost the length of its entire body. They also have a second, smaller dorsal fin and two anal fins. The fin is deep blue with black spots. The rest of its body’s colors vary from dark blue to gray, with a silver or white underbelly. Since they are a member of the Istiophoridae family, they, like many of the Istiophoridae family members, have an upper jaw that juts out well beyond their lower jaw and forms a distinctive spear, in order to stab its prey. It also has small scales embedded in its skin.
5. The average lifespan of a sailfish is 4 years long. When they first hatch, sailfish larvae are only 0.125 inches long, but grow to be about 4 to 5 feet long in their first year alone!
6. Sailfish, as stated earlier, are typically found near the surface of the ocean, far from land, feeding on schools of smaller fish like sardines and anchovies (in the Atlantic). In the Pacific, jacks, anchovies, sardines, triggerfish and ribbonfish are the sailfish’s typical meal.They also feast on squid and octopus.
7. The Atlantic sailfish is Florida’s State Saltwater Fish and has often been featured in different documentaries, typically alongside the swordfish and marlin, its close relatives. This is because Florida loves sport fishing and knows that the sailfish is one of the best fish for fishing.
8. The sailfish is not fished for its meat – the sailfish is considered a tough meat so it’s not widely eaten. However, while human beings find the sailfish meat too tough and undesirable, that does not mean other fish do not find the sailfish quite delectable. In fact the dolphinfish, otherwise known as the mahi-mahi (which will be covered in another blog post at a later date), is one of the sailfish’s primary predators. Other larger predatory fish and seabirds also feed on sailfish, regularly.
9. The sailfish are good game, they will fight against the hook, leaping and diving repeatedly, hoping to tire out the fisherman they’re fighting against. They’re powerful and it will often take hours for the sailfish to be caught.
10. Not only is the sailfish powerful enough to keep the fight going for hours, the sailfish is also the fastest fish that science knows of in all of the seven seas, according to National Geographic. Sailfish have been seen and recorded leaping out of the water at 68 miles an hour and it’s quite possible that they move faster than this. This makes fishing for them some of the best sportfishing possible.

There are even more cool facts about the sailfish, that you can read about on National Geographic and other websites. Or, when you book a trip for a day of Kona fishing with us out on the open sea at Kona Fishing Charters, we’ll answer your questions as best we can! There’s nothing like seeing the sailfish for yourself, especially if you get to see it close up after you catch one!
Next time in our series of fish facts, we’ll give you some interesting facts about the Wahoo (Ono) fish, another fish you will quite possibly see when you come out to fish with us at Kona Fishing Charters! Call us at (808) 960-1424 to book your fishing trip!