Species: Tetrapturus pfluegeri, Longbill Spearfish
sword ~head
nape low
D & A front: rounded
pectoral wide, long, rounded

Tetrapturus pfluegeri Robins & de Sylva, 1963
Longbill Spearfish
Body very elongate and very compressed; bill rounded in cross section, moderately long (length usually at least equal to head); adults with small teeth; nape not very high; 1st dorsal long based, 45-50, front lobe rounded, its height equal to or slightly > body depth, rest of fin remains about equal height along most of its length, close to 2nd dorsal, 6-7; first anal fin rays 13-17, its lobe rounded; second anal fin rays 6-8; pectoral fin long (>18% of body length) wide, rounded, moveable, can be pressed against body; pelvic fins slender, filamentous, ~same length as to longer than pectoral; 2 keels on side of tail base; tail fin large, strongly forked; anus well before origin of anal fin, that distance ~same as height of front lobe of anal; lateral line single, an obvious straight line; body covered with densely imbedded, small, triangular scales that have 2-5 points.
Dark blue dorsally, blue blotched with brown laterally, and silvery white ventrally, without dots or bars; first dorsal fin blue-black, unspotted; remaining fins dark brown.
Size: to about 250 cm, at least 45 kg.
Habitat: oceanic, pelagic, chiefly offshore.
Depth: 0-240 m?
Tropical and temperate Atlantic; New York to northern Brazil.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- In & Offshore
- Inshore
- Offshore
- Water Column Position
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- Mid Water
- Near Surface
- Surface
- Water column only
- Habitat
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- Water column
- FishBase Habitat
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- Pelagic
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Bony fishes
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
- Regional Endemism
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- Also in Brazil
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Extends N + S of GC
- Extends North of GC
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Temperate (>35N)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 250
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 240