Indo-Pacific Sailfish

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Indo-Pacific Sailfish
Species:	Istiophorus platypterus
Category:	Large Marine Life
Length:	3.5m (11ft 6in)
Appearance:	A large, slender fish with an extended upper jaw resembling a long, thin spear and huge dorsal fins that can fold to be very small.
Location: (EO)	Deep Valley Secret Lake (Tanga Day)
Location: (EO2)	Ciceros Strait
Time:	Day and night (EO) Day only (EO2)
Dangerous:
Forms:	Adult only

The Indo-Pacific Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) is a large and fast fish that can be found in both Endless Ocean and Endless Ocean 2.

It is named for its large, sail-like dorsal fin, which it can raise and lower as it wishes. Known for its size, strength, and speed, it is often sought out by anglers for sport-fishing.

In-Game

Marine Encyclopedia

Endless Ocean

Description

"These fish have long bodies, extremely large dorsal fins that are designed to break waves, and lengthy snouts. They are light blue on the back and white on the belly, with small black dots scattered on the dorsal fin. They can usually be seen year-round in Deep Valley.

These fish swim at incredibly high speeds near the surface of the water. After finding and chasing down prey, they thrust out their fins to confuse them, then strike a blow with their long, pointed snouts.

They have streamlined bodies that allow their dorsal and ventral fins to be retracted, which reduces resistance and helps to keep them stabilized while swimming. Indo-Pacific sailfish have been clocked at speeds of over 60 miles an hour, which makes them the fastest fish in the world."

Endless Ocean 2

Description

"This fish has a large, sail-like dorsal fin and a long snout. It suddenly unfurls its giant dorsal fin right in front of its prey, confusing them and leaving them unable to swim normally.

It uses this opportunity to strike the fish with its long snout, and then it eats the weakened prey."

[Speed King]

"This fish's body is developed to make it swim faster. It has indentations on its dorsal and pelvic fins to decrease water resistance and ridges to stabilize its swimming trajectory. It can reach speeds of over 100km/h and holds the title of world's fastest fish."

Location

Endless Ocean

Autumn

• In Secret Lake, during its Tanga Day event that lasts from the 1st to the 6th of October.

Winter

• Southwest of Mo'ia Atoll, one can be seen swimming fairly close to the sand at night.

Year-round

• Above Deep Valley, a loose group of Indo-Pacific sailfish can be found swimming in the waters near the surface.

Endless Ocean 2

These are seen in Ciceros Strait at coordinates G-1, C-3, D-3 and C-7, mostly in the North Canyon area of the map. They can also be attracted to the Private Reef if at least three of either Breakwater (S) or (H) is present; the same applies to the House.

Behavior

These fish swim about quickly, in large, loose groups. When poked or stroked, they unfurl their dorsal fin in protest. In the second game, their trivia can be unlocked by feeding them.

Gallery

The Indo-Pacific sailfish as it appears in the first Endless Ocean game.

Notes

• This is one of Oceana's favorite creatures.
• The group of individuals found in the North Canyon area also includes the legendary sailfish Gungnir.
• This is one of several fish that can appear during the load times whenever the player dives in Ciceros Strait.

Real-Life Information

1/2

• Both in-game descriptions remark upon the impressive speed of the sailfish, and both are correct. The second game specifically states that it can reach a clip of over 100 kilometers per hour 62 miles per hour), and this is accurate - their top speed is 109 kilometers per hour (68 miles). However, this can only be kept up for short bursts or when leaping, and their usual cruising speed is 18 kilometers (11 miles) per hour.
  • Biologically, there are several mechanisms that help them do this; Endless Ocean makes note of retractable fins, and Blue World speaks of indentations and ridges on its body to decrease water resistance and stabilize swimming, respectively. There is a groove along the underside (the ventral side) so that the pelvic fins (near the tail fins) can be pulled in close to the body, and there are a pair of ridges - called "keels" - near the tail fin that help further reduce drag.
  • The sailfish is not very often considered a good food fish, as its meat is too firm to be really enjoyable, and without the flavor to make up for it. However, its strength, size, and aforementioned speed give it a well-deserved reputation for being an excellent challenge to any experienced angler looking for one.
    • Said size can be quite impressive - the measurements of the largest sailfish on record have put the upper limits at about 11 feet (3.5 meters) and 220 pounds (100 kilograms). Females are known to grow larger than males.
    • Though they are sought out as game fish, they are not over-fished, and therefore are not at risk for going extinct anytime soon.
• Both games also describe the sailfish's manner of hunting as using its snout to stun prey and then eat the weakened target; this is true to real-life behavior. Purposeful stabbing motions are not documented in sailfish, but marlin have been known to stab slightly more often (though whether or not this is deliberate is debatable).
  • Endless Ocean and Blue World both also report that the sailfish uses its dorsal fin - the "sail" that gives it its name - to confuse prey; this is true as well. There is documented behavior of sailfish using their sails to "herd" prey into schools, that they can then dive through with their fins folded all the way back at top speed, swinging their heads from side to side to hit as many fish as possible.
    • They will also sometimes hunt in larger groups that allow them to gather up a tight school of many fish that they can then simply pick away at from the outsides.
  • The sail, while it helps the sailfish in hunting and managing its swimming speed, is also thought to help cool down or warm up the fish when needed.
• The Indo-Pacific sailfish can change color. When excited or agitated, such as during mating season, they can "flash" their colors in patterns, using specialized cells known as chromatophores. This ability is also present in the sailfish's cousin, the striped marlin.
• The Indo-Pacific sailfish is thought by some scientists to be the only species of sailfish, but others have separated it into two different species - Istiophorus platypterus, the one seen in-game, and Istiophorus albicans, which is sometimes termed the Atlantic sailfish.
  • This is partially due to the fact that the sailfish living in the Pacific and Indian oceans (I. platypterus) are larger than their Atlantic cousins (I. albicans), and are sometimes reported to have different coloration.
  • They are both considered subspecies of I. platyperus by some sources, but other sources state that there is not enough difference between the two to warrant any official distinction whatsoever.
• The sailfish is interesting in that it is partially warm-blooded. They can keep the temperature of their brains and eyes higher than the rest of their body and the water around them, which allows them to make faster eye movements when hunting, and they can therefore track their prey better.
  • This is called cranial endothermy - cranial, relating to the head or cranium, endo-, meaning internal, and -thermy, relating to temperature. It is also present in many other fishes, like tunas, some species of mackerel, some sharks, some of the other billfishes, and opahs.

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