Sailfish
Istiophorus platypterus
A color-changing sail helps herd dinner into reach.
Sailfish carry a spectacular dorsal fin that towers above the body like a sail. Working alone or together, they corral schooling prey and slash with their long bills.
Find this SeaPal in the card gallery
From field guide to game table
Bring this Sailfish home
See which ready-to-play decks feature this SeaPal. Try one in the simulator before you buy, or explore each full deck list.
- 1 copy
Ready-to-play deck
Open Ocean Deck
Includes 1 card featuring Sailfish.
Quick dive
Creature passport
- Home
- They roam tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean waters.
- Favorite foods
- They eat sardines, anchovies, mackerel, jacks, squid, and other schooling prey.
- Size check
- Up to about 11 ft (3.4 m), including the bill—small-car length
Tell-your-friends facts
Four wonderfully wild things
- 1
The sail can fold into a groove to reduce drag while cruising.
- 2
Its bill stuns or injures prey with quick sideways slashes.
- 3
Body bars can brighten when a sailfish is excited or hunting.
- 4
Young sailfish can grow more than four feet long in their first year.
Ocean superpower
Built to be amazing
The huge sail flashes color and helps fence nervous prey into a tight group.
Junior scientist tip
What should I look for?
Spot a long round bill and an enormous dark-blue sail dotted with black.
Grown-up research links
We used trusted science organizations to check this profile.