what kind of fish is this?

[backman]

Background - caught July 4, 2005 on a 70 -> 72 break and weedline just inside the wall between Veatch and Hydro Canyon in 90 fathoms of water.

At the time we called it a white but I now wonder if it was in fact a spearfish.

[jtocean]

spearfish.

[Capt. kapoc]

white almost looked like a small hatchet

[ncbillfisher]

white marlin, you can tell by the anal fin and the peck fins how long they are. good pics.

[Wireman]

It's a white. Nice job!

[SeaBiscuit]

It's a "beautiful" fish! White Marlin.
Great shots!
SeaBiscuit

[frankypettolina]

Its a whitey- also note the length of its snoot!

[Seekin' Makaira]

Isn't it almost impossible to tell the difference between a longbill spearfish and a white marlin without some measurements?

[Wireman]

Isn't it almost impossible to tell the difference between a longbill spearfish and a white marlin without some measurements?

This is what an Atlantic Spearfish looks like. They have a sharp dorsal tip, much like a blue marlin's. Their pec fins are also more like a blue, and not rounded like a white's. They are also usually a lot more slender than a white in appearance.

[Seekin' Makaira]

This is what an Atlantic Spearfish looks like. They have a sharp dorsal tip, much like a blue marlin's. Their pec fins are also more like a blue, and not rounded like a white's. They are also usually a lot more slender than a white in appearance.

Thanks Wireman. Not familiar with billfish I.D. in the Atlantic, just thought I had read somewhere that they look very similar.