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

[Capt Josh]

We caught two of these immature billfish yesterday...i'm no scientist but from our checking they appear to be longbilled spearfish. Help?!?!?!

Note the pair of elongated pelvic fins as are found on sailfish. These fins were on both fish, although you can't see them on the photo of the one that Benji is holding in the third photo.

[Capt Josh]

Here's the other one...

Note how the dorsal is considerably higher immediately behind the head, and how it tapers off towards the tail.

[BahamaLure]

I have been looking and found no references to longbill spearfish in the Pacific or even Indian oceans, I am guessing this is the source of your ?!?!?!?!?! in the title? I hope you dont mind but I posted the pics else where in the net to widen the search.

It could be a cross between a sail and shortbill spearfish or a juvenile striped marlin though the dorsal fin does not look right for a stripey. Having said that, juvenile fish often differ from the adults, this fish for example is a Black marlin juvenie, not a striped marlin as I thought at first glance -

[Capt Josh]

I've been searching all morning for a definitive answer. Check out this comparable photo of a juvenile sailfish, clearly we did not catch a sailfish. I could see one of the fish we caught to have a deformed sail, but BOTH of these juvenile billfish we caught yesterday had pronounced high dorsals, just behind the head, that tapered off towards the tail.

I have found no reference of longbills in the Pacific either, but some references to scientists being "not 100% sure" they didn't exist in the Pacific.

Strange questions, i'm curious to find out the answers. In hindsight we should have taken scale samples, but we were in a hurry to release the small billfish uninjured.

[Capt Josh]

Sorry here's the link for a much larger version of that juvenile sailfish photo.

http://www.seahag.com/extra/sailfish.jpg

[sancocho]

Somebody else catch this fish in PV last week,

baby sailfish maybe?

[IMG]http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/attachments/mainland-mexico-fishing-reports-discussion/160169d1255041837t-baby-sailfish-1-cow-adam-pulls-biggest-****-his-life-img_1190-medium-.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/attachments/mainland-mexico-fishing-reports-discussion/160170d1255041837t-baby-sailfish-1-cow-adam-pulls-biggest-****-his-life-img_1191-medium-.jpg[/IMG]

suerte,

[Wireman]

If I was forced to bet money on it, I'd feel real confident saying they were juvenile striped marlin. Not uncommon at all for the juvenile billfish to have larger dorsal's that they eventually grow into.

Regardless, very interesting and cool to catch two of them.

[big bwana]

I caught this with Manny in early September. I thought it was either a juvenile Blue one or maybe a Black. I have read some where the pec fins on small blacks do not become rigid until they reach about 100lbs. I have caught several small sailfish (under 10lbs.) and they have a full sail just like the adults. I have sent these photos to Marine Biologist and yet to get a reply

[TITLEWAVE]

We caught two of these immature billfish yesterday...i'm no scientist but from our checking they appear to be longbilled spearfish. Help?!?!?!

Note the pair of elongated pelvic fins as are found on sailfish. These fins were on both fish, although you can't see them on the photo of the one that Benji is holding in the third photo.

Looks just like the short billed spears we get in the Gulf Of Mexico with the exception of the bill length.

[Capt Chip]

Hey Josh,

I'm with Wireman, cute little striped marlins. Looks like the tip of anal dorsal is a bit squared off like a stripey to me and it looks like its starting on the main dorsal too. I've never caught one quite that small but several in the teens and truckloads in the 20s and they do have really tall dorsal up front as well as high all the way back. it starts becoming less pronounced as they get bigger. To thin bodied and bill way to long for a blue (I've got a few of those in the 20lb range).

Did they look like little rain birds coming in behind the lure?

Guess we'll really never know for sure on those two but stipey is my guess.

Aloha,

Chip