Species: Tetrapturus georgii, Roundscale Spearfish

Tetrapturus georgii Lowe, 1841

Roundscale Spearfish

Body elongate, not 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, 43-48, height of front lobe equal to or slightly > body depth, rest of fin behind the lobe decreases in height gradually to rear, close to 2nd dorsal, 6-7; first anal fin rays 14-16; second anal fin rays 5-7; dorsal and anal fin lobes with blunt to rounded ends; pectoral fin long (>18% of body length) wide, pointed, moveable, can be pressed against body; pelvic fins slender, filamentous, ~same length as pectoral; 2 keels on side of tail base; tail fin large, strongly forked; anus well before origin of anal fin (at distance ~1/2 height of anal fin lobe); lateral line single, an obvious straight line; body covered with densely imbedded, small, scales; scales on sides of body are only slightly overlapping, soft, rounded anteriorly and 2-3 pointed at the rear, scales on upper and lower parts of body stiff, elongate and overlapping.

Dark blue above, coppery on the sides and silver below; dorsal fin dark blue, without small black spots; may display irridescent bars on body.

Size: to about 200 cm; 23.5 kg.

Habitat: oceanic, pelagic, chiefly offshore.

Depth: 0-200 m?

Tropical and temperate Atlantic and Mediterranean; from Nova Scotia to the NE Caribbean; the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Note: As this species is easily confused with the White Marlin, Kajikia albida, its distribution is not clear.