It is known that the seas and oceans abound with beautiful and unique creatures. Each egg, fry, shrimp, crab or a huge specimen of a representative of the cetacean order plays its own clear role in the world's oceans. Harmony and tranquility rule here, there is no rush and fuss - everyone is in their place. And any deviation from the established life or any innovation is fraught with a change in the entire integrity of the ideal coherence and cohesion between the aquatic inhabitants. It is worth noting that the smaller the representative of the deep sea, the easier it is for him to adapt to any circumstances. But for those whose size can be described as very impressive, it is quite difficult to accept everything new and unusual.
Today we would like to pay attention to a truly beautiful, unusual and incredibly huge sailfish, which can rightfully be considered the beauty of tropical seas and oceans. We will try to find out a lot about her: how she looks, habitat, habitual diet and other equally interesting facts.
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The fish that lives in warm seas and oceans cannot be confused with others. A huge blue sail, like the sky, rising above the water and shimmering in the sun at the same time is the dorsal fin of an ocean handsome man. The sailfish looks like a frightening giant. A long body is hidden under water, which in a one-year-old individual reaches a size of 2 m, and in a mature one - up to 3.5 m.
By the way, sailboats live for about 15 years and throughout their lives they gain weight and increase in size. The largest individuals ever caught in the waters of the oceans were of advanced age.
The color of the body of the fish is varied: the back is blue-black, the sides are brown, and the belly is silver. It is noteworthy that on the sides of adults there are longitudinal stripes of a dark color.
Distinguishing feature
Along the back of the fastest sailfish is a fin that at first glance seems to be solid. In fact, there are two fins: a huge decorative first from the head is bluish in color, the second is a continuation of the first, has a brown tint. A huge fin that protrudes above the water when the fish is at the surface helps to regulate heat transfer. The sailboat does not have an air bubble that allows you to stay afloat, so the fish is constantly on the move. Remarkably, they can fold their fin against their back, thereby increasing their speed underwater while hunting.
The long, sharp beak makes this fish an excellent hunter andhelps develop speed. The head of the sailboat is pointed, the upper jaw turns into a long growth. It resembles a cross between marlin and mackerel with a giant speckled fin. By the way, huge sailboats have the same striped side as a mackerel, on which silver stripes alternate with dark ones. The marlin is larger but belongs to the same family as the deep sea giant.
For someone - an object of admiration, and for others - prey
It's safe to say that the sailfish is the dream of any fisherman who is passionate about sport fishing. Catching this beauty is considered the highest pleasure of a person whose hobby is bait fishing. In addition to everything, boasting of such a giant is not at all shameful. The fish is the only representative of the genus Istiophorus, and its distinctive feature is the high speed of underwater movement.
By the way, the sailfish is one of the fastest fish in the world's oceans. It attracts fishermen with its incredible appearance and the fact that it is quite edible. On the coasts of Central America, there are even tournaments for sport fishing for a quick ocean giant. It is not difficult to catch a sailboat, it is difficult to pull it out. This is a large, powerful fish, due to its swiftness and speed, according to the laws of physics, it is able to increase its weight up to 100 kg. Like tuna, sailboats are harvested on an industrial scale. In some tropical countries, fishing is carried out only as a sport. After being photographed and weighed, the fish is sent back to the ocean.
Talkingabout representatives of the World Association for the Protection of Animals and aesthetes who love to enjoy the beautiful, it can be noted that they prefer to admire the view than to hunt or eat the deep-sea beauty.
Where to look for a sailboat?
Speaking about where the sailfish lives and what it eats, it can be noted that it chooses mainly the seas and oceans located closer to the tropics as a habitat: the Pacific Ocean and the Indian, Red Sea. Such fish are found even in the Black Sea. It is noteworthy that in winter or during a period of significant temperature drop, sailboats migrate closer to the equator. They are easy enough to see, because a blue leathery wing is clearly visible above the water, which resembles a sail. This is a simple secret that reveals the secret of the name of the fish. It is worth saying that the coat of arms of the Seychelles is decorated with sailfish. Two fish show off with a turtle and a tropical gull called the red-billed phaeton.
Daily Diet
Sailboats are predators by nature. They prey on medium-sized fish, including mackerel, sardines, and even clams. Fish sailboats, photos of which are presented in the article, are not alone. They prefer to hunt in small groups, chasing prey. Hunting is carried out according to a certain scheme: sailboats surround a flock of small fish and attack in turn, preventing the school from dispersing. So the giants of the ocean can eat their fill.
Transformation
During the hunt, the color of the fish becomes brighter and reveals itself in its entirety. The skin turns red near the abdomen, the stripes on the sides enhance the color, and the silvery sides begin to shimmer with gold, red and purple. The beauty of the colors of the sailboat in its natural habitat is comparable to the outfits of the brightest tropical fish. Everyone could watch the aquarium bantam fish native to the Indian Ocean with amazing fins and a colorful tail. The sailboat is of the same beauty, but its size is much larger. By the way, it is generally accepted that fish with bright scales are unsuitable for food, because they are basically poisonous. This conclusion does not apply to sailboat fish. They can be safely eaten.
How fast is the sailfish?
The record of 100 km/h, recorded by experts, strikes the imagination of even the most sophisticated skeptics. To date, the only champion with an unsurpassed result in speed is the sailfish. The speed was measured in a fishing camp on purpose. Before that, engineers theoretically studied the ability of a sailboat to move so quickly, and the fish clearly demonstrated an unsurpassed ability to use the smallest eddies in the water in order to reduce the resistance of the flow. From overheating during such intense physical work, the fish is saved by a fin raised above the surface of the water - with the help of it, it is cooled. The fastest sailfish gains speed with quick tail movements. This engineered design makes her unbeatable in tropical waters.
Reproduction
Sailboats cannot be called an endangered species, on the contrary, they multiply quite quickly and develop rapidly. Despite the fact that many fishing vessels hunt them, nothing threatens the biological species yet. During the spawning period, which usually occurs in August or September, the female is able to lay up to 5 million eggs. By the way, large fish of this family do not care about offspring at all, leaving eggs immediately after the natural process of spawning. Many fry die as prey to fish, but a huge number of babies survive by quickly gaining weight and taking on the appearance of an underwater monster that can intimidate rather than become prey.
