Sailfish Facts for Kids
Istiophorus platypterus · iss-tee-OFF-or-us plat-ee-TEER-us
A speedy fish with a tall back sail and a long, pointed bill.
- 🏃 68 mph109 km/h1
- ⚖️ 128 lb58 kg2
- 📏 12 ft3.6 m3 long
- 🎂 lifespan: not yet checked
- 🍽️ fish
- Needs help (Vulnerable)
The sailfish is a fish with a big sail on its back. It folds the sail down flat to swim fast. Its bill is long and pointed.
A sailfish keeps its tall sail folded down while it speeds along, and raises it when it hunts. It often hunts schools of small fish, and a few sailfish may work together to keep the school bunched up. Its dark blue back and silver belly help it hide, whether you look from above or below.
Sailfish live in warm, open water and are among the fastest fish in the sea. Their sail is a huge fin held up by thin bony rays, and it can fold neatly into a groove along the back. Hunting sailfish raise their sails and flash bright blue and silver stripes, which may help keep a school of fish in a tight ball. Sailfish roam the open ocean, following warm water and plenty of food.
How big is a sailfish?
Sailfish in numbers
| Length | 12 ft3.6 m3the longest measured |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | no checked number yet |
| Weight | 128 lb58 kg2the largest Atlantic sailfish measured |
| Top speed (swimming) | 68 mph109 km/h1swimming; more than, in short bursts |
| How long it lives | no checked number yet |
| What it eats | small fish such as sardines and anchovies, and squid |
| Where it lives | the warm Pacific and Indian oceans |
| What kind | Fish |
| Is it in danger? | Needs help (Vulnerable)4 |
A number we couldn’t find on a page we trust says so, instead of guessing.
Wow!
- Its big sail folds down flat into a groove on its back.
- Hunting sailfish flash bright stripes on their sides.
- Sailfish sometimes work together as a team to hunt.
Compare the sailfish
Friends and neighbours
Atlantic bluefin tuna
Ocean sunfish
Great white sharkThree questions
Books about the sailfish, free at the library
Ask a grown-up to tap the button: it shows where to borrow a book about the sailfish for free.
Where these numbers come from
- NOAA National Ocean Service, Ocean Facts feed ('What is the fastest fish in the ocean?'), checked 30 October 2026.
- NOAA Fishery Bulletin 78(3), 1980 (Beardsley and others, Atlantic sailfish), checked 30 October 2026.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean (Istiophorus platypterus), checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, Sailfish (Q694527), checked 30 October 2026.