Longbilled Spearfish in PV?!?!?!?!

[Duke Blue Blood]

Not to wreck the party as I certainly don't know the exact species, but it looks like a Stripey.

One thing to note, Cabo to PV is an identified spawning area and apparently quite a few juveniles are found in these waters.

http://www.afma.gov.au/research/repo...1154/chap2.pdf

[Duke Blue Blood]

This was from Sea of Cortez Samples -

An analysis of 275 plankton samples collected during 12 larval research cruises yielded 76 striped marlin and seven sailfish larvae. Larvae were found during June, July, August, September, and November when sea surface temperatures ranged from 27.5 to 31.5 °C. With the exception of a 30.5 mm striped marlin early juvenile (August 1992), larval sizes ranged from 2.8 to 7.0 mm.

[BahamaLure]

hey Josh - did you guys manage to clip a fin for DNA analysis? It would indeed be a coup to discover a species like the longbill spearfish in waters they are not supposed to frequent.... but short of a fin clipping we can not be certain.

Alan

[goodandlucky]

Must be the rare Joshtempleus billfish

[Swami]

I've looked around for the scientific info on this that I read a few years ago but can't find it. Anyway, from what I remember the only real way to tell the difference between a spearfish and any other species of marlin is the location of, well, his azzhole. On a spearfish, it's located well in front of the anal fin; in all other billfish, it's close to the anal fin.

The other question is, what in the world were you pulling to get such a small bite? Were you trying to make bait or what?

Either way they're cool little billfish...

[Asylum]

Swami, thats the same thing Doug said. The location of the anal fin to cornhole was what he based his conclusion on.

When the first one came over the rail, we were fully prepared to keep it. Benji was ready to put it on ice but we put him back. 5 min later when the second one hit, we got confused. We scoured the boat looking for scales but never found on. Didnt dawn on us at the time.

Both fish hit on the same Smashbait. Fished as a stinger. Super agressive. The first one took about 10ft of line on an 80w chair set before finally getting skipped to the boat.

[Ultralite]

Where's the pics of the vent hole?

Looks very much like a striped marlin.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...%3Den%26sa%3DG

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...%3Den%26sa%3DG

The bill of the shortbill spearfish is barely longer than its lower jaw, whereas in the longbill spearfish it is about twice as long, but it is still noticeably short when compared to that in other billfish. The pectoral fins of the shortbill and Mediterranean spearfish barely reach to the curve of the lateral line; in the longbill spearfish, they extend beyond the curve. The longbill spearfish has more elements (45 to 53) in the first dorsal fin than any other Atlantic billfish, although it may appear similar to the white marlin. The shortbill spearfish has approximately the same count (47 to 50 elements), but the Mediterranean spearfish has fewer (39 to 46). The lateral line is single and arches above the pectoral fins. The dorsal fin is bright blue and has no spots. The vertical bars on the body are never as prominent as in other billfish and may show only slightly or not at all.

It's a striped marlin as the bill is more than twice the length of its lower jaw. Plus not one of the spearfish photos I was able to google up exhibited the vertical stripes.

[fishvenezuela]

Where's the pics of the vent hole?

Looks very much like a striped marlin.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...%3Den%26sa%3DG

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...%3Den%26sa%3DG

The bill of the shortbill spearfish is barely longer than its lower jaw, whereas in the longbill spearfish it is about twice as long, but it is still noticeably short when compared to that in other billfish. The pectoral fins of the shortbill and Mediterranean spearfish barely reach to the curve of the lateral line; in the longbill spearfish, they extend beyond the curve. The longbill spearfish has more elements (45 to 53) in the first dorsal fin than any other Atlantic billfish, although it may appear similar to the white marlin. The shortbill spearfish has approximately the same count (47 to 50 elements), but the Mediterranean spearfish has fewer (39 to 46). The lateral line is single and arches above the pectoral fins. The dorsal fin is bright blue and has no spots. The vertical bars on the body are never as prominent as in other billfish and may show only slightly or not at all.

It's a striped marlin as the bill is more than twice the length of its lower jaw. Plus not one of the spearfish photos I was able to google up exhibited the vertical stripes.

Spearfishing in Venezuela

In the photos on this thread, you will clearly see the vertical stipes on this longbill spearfish. I have caught 14 longbill spearfish in a 20 year plus professional fishing career in the Atlantic. Two in Ocean City, MD. One weighing 16.5lbs and the other 22lbs. Releasing 4 in OI and one in Chub Cay. The other 7 were released in Venezuela. One time we hooked a spearfish on a fly and pulled the hooks after a twenty minute fight! Incredible.

Two things: 1. The dorsal fin is transparent. Longbill spearfish in my observations, all had a transparent dorsal out of the water. In the water, they are a very brillient purple/indigo color. (fins) Electric and neon in color! They are usually agressive eaters and in pairs or more. For a seasoned billfisherman, when you catch one, there is no mistake or guessing.

2. The **** does not lie. If the **** is 4-6 inches forward of the anal fin, it is a spearfish. The **** is just (1-2 inch) forward of the anal fin, it is a white marlin. I asume it is the same for a striped marlin because I understand that the DNA is the basically same makeup. The other mystery to me are the short pectoral fins.

The photo of the two fish that Josh caught could fool us to believe that it is a longbill spearfish. Josh needs to show us some ASS and we could make a educated/professional opinion.

Until we see some ASS we will never know.

One other thing....... I remember vividly an article or fish ID question in Sportfishing Magazine (past 4 years) with a couple in Cabo San Lucas on a honeymoon fishing trip in a panga catching two presumed longbill spearfish. They looked in the photo very much like a longbill spearfish.

As Captain Ron said in the movie......... "Nobody knows."

.............. Could be a hybrid but more likely a juvinile striped marlin.

Also on this thread, please do not confuse the longbill spearfish with the roundscale spearfish......... They are apples and oranges.

[neilinov]

It's bad enough that JT rolls with Tom Curren at a secret spot in Mexico, parties like a rock star on an east coast tour, and tears up the fish on a daily basis. Now he catches fish that aren't supposed to exist in his home waters. JT I have one question: ARE YOU A GOD?

[Ultralite]

Spearfishing in Venezuela

In the photos on this thread, you will clearly see the vertical stipes on this longbill spearfish. I have caught 14 longbill spearfish in a 20 year plus professional fishing career in the Atlantic. Two in Ocean City, MD. One weighing 16.5lbs and the other 22lbs. Releasing 4 in OI and one in Chub Cay. The other 7 were released in Venezuela. One time we hooked a spearfish on a fly and pulled the hooks after a twenty minute fight! Incredible.

Two things: 1. The dorsal fin is transparent. Longbill spearfish in my observations, all had a transparent dorsal out of the water. In the water, they are a very brillient purple/indigo color. (fins) Electric and neon in color! They are usually agressive eaters and in pairs or more. For a seasoned billfisherman, when you catch one, there is no mistake or guessing.

2. The **** does not lie. If the **** is 4-6 inches forward of the anal fin, it is a spearfish. The **** is just (1-2 inch) forward of the anal fin, it is a white marlin. I asume it is the same for a striped marlin because I understand that the DNA is the basically same makeup. The other mystery to me are the short pectoral fins.

The photo of the two fish that Josh caught could fool us to believe that it is a longbill spearfish. Josh needs to show us some ASS and we could make a educated/professional opinion.

Until we see some ASS we will never know.

One other thing....... I remember vividly an article or fish ID question in Sportfishing Magazine (past 4 years) with a couple in Cabo San Lucas on a honeymoon fishing trip in a panga catching two presumed longbill spearfish. They looked in the photo very much like a longbill spearfish.

As Captain Ron said in the movie......... "Nobody knows."

.............. Could be a hybrid but more likely a juvinile striped marlin.

Also on this thread, please do not confuse the longbill spearfish with the roundscale spearfish......... They are apples and oranges.

The pectoral fins of your Venezuelan spearfish are wide and have rounded tips:

Spearfishing in Venezuela

The fish depicted in the photos of this thread has pectorals that are very slender and have pointed tips:

Longbilled Spearfish in PV?!?!?!?!

much like depicted on page 5 of 28 (numbered page 136) of this scientific article on striped marlin showing the ontogenetic change in body form of striped marlin:

http://swfsc.noaa.gov/publications/CR/1974/7447.PDF

Also note the upward slope of the forehead on the PV fish in the 3rd picture here. Matches that of the ontogenetic drawings of the striper and this feature is completely absent in your Venezuelan fish. Though I agree it would be nice to see, I don't need to stick my finger in the bung hole to tell it's a striped marlin.