Indo-pacific sailfish

An indo-pacific sailfish in an aquarium

The Indo-Pacific sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) is a sailfish that is native to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. It is a predator that occurs almost globally, in tropical and subtropical seas. There's also another species, the Atlantic sailfish, Istiophorus albicans, which occurs in the Atlantic Ocean. The two species are very similar, and more and more scientists think they are the same species. The fish occur in areas between 35° and 45° northern and southern latitude. The fish feed on smaller fish, crustaceans and molluscs. Fully grown, the fish reach a length of 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in). They reach a weight between 50 kilograms (110 lb) and 100 kilograms (220 lb). They also occur in the Red Sea, and have migrated to the Mediterranean, as a Lessepsian migrant.