Physical description:

The sailfish is a very popular billfish with the marine gamefish anglers. The sailfish is dark blue along the upper half of the body, fading to brownish-blue on the lower sides to silver white on the belly. The first dorsal fin is high, sail-like, blue-black and covered with many small black spots. All related billfish have a high dorsal fin as juveniles, but only sailfish retain the high fin throughout life. The other fins are silver-blue. On the sides there are 15 to 20 vertical bars consisting of several small blue spots.

Biological description:

Sailfish are distributed worldwide in tropical and temperate waters throughout the western Atlantic from the Gulf of Maine south to Brazil, including the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Compared with marlins and swordfish, sailfish are a nearshore species. Sailfish are believed to live up to 10 years and reach a weight of 110 pounds. A major spawning area for sailfish is off the lower east coast of Florida, where fish move inshore to spawn from mid-May through September. Sailfish have been seen in pods, encircling schools of fish and using their fins to form a wall to keep the prey confined. One by one, the sailfish dart in to feed, and return to the outer circle, awaiting their next opportunity.

South Atlantic Federal Regulations

(For areas three-200 miles off the coasts of NC, SC, GA, and East Florida)

Sailfish are managed by the Highly Migratory Division of the National Marine Fisheries Service in Silver Spring, MD. For more information on federal regulations for Atlantic tunas, contact NMFS at (301) 713-2347.