Longbill spearfish (Tetrapturus pfluegeri)

Scientific name: Tetrapturus pfluegeri Robins & de Sylva, 1963

Longbill spearfish (Tetrapturus pfluegeri)

The Longbill spearfish (Tetrapturus pfluegeri) is a marine fish of the family Istiophoridae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 50-57; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 18 - 21; Vertebrae: 24. Blue-black above, silvery white splattered with brown on the sides, silvery white below; dorsal fins dark blue; pectorals blackish brown, occasionally with tinges of greyish white; pelvic fins blue-black with a black fin membrane; 1st anal fin dark blue with silvery white at base; 2nd anal fin blackish brown.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Tetrapturus pfluegeri
Family
Istiophoridae (Billfishes)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
254
Common length
165
Depth range
0–200 m (0–656 ft)
Environment
Marine; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous; depth range 0 - 200 m, usually 100 - ? m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Atlantic Ocean: widely distributed in offshore waters, much more densely so in the western than in the eastern Atlantic. Highly migratory species, Annex I of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming tm=2-4)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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