Fun Spearfish Facts For Kids
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The longbill spearfish is a species of Marlin. It is native to the Atlantic Ocean. In the Atlantic Ocean, it is found in open waters above the thermocline. Its maximum recorded weight is 127.868 lb (58 kg).
They are known to feed on pelagic fishes. Once a year, they are known to spawn. Longbill spearfish underwater are known to go to great depths.
The shortbill spearfish is a species of Marlin. It is native to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, with some records tracing it back to the Atlantic Ocean as well. The shortbill spearfish occurs in open waters very close to the surface.
Most shortbill spearfish don’t exceed 7480 in (190 cm) in length. The maximum weight recorded is 114 lb (52 kg). The shortbill spearfish is a game fish and also has some commercial importance.
The Mediterranean spearfish is a species of Marlin. It is native to the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean spearfish is common around Italy. It is found within 7874 in (200 m) of the surface and is an open-water fish. The Mediterranean spearfish is also of some importance to commercial fisheries.
For more relatable content, check out these sawfish facts and piranha fish facts for kids.
Spearfish Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a spearfish?
The spearfish (longbill spearfish, shortbill spearfish, Mediterranean spearfish) is a fish. Some other types of fish are garfish and lionfish.
What class of animal does a spearfish belong to?
The spearfish (longbill spearfish, shortbill spearfish, Mediterranean spearfish) belongs to the class of fish.
How many spearfish are there in the world?
The number of spearfish in the world is not known.
Where does a spearfish live?
Spearfish lives in oceans. It is hence found in Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean.
What is a spearfish's habitat?
Longbill spearfish is found in New Jersey and Venezuela. This migratory fish is quite frequent in the Gulf of Mexico and nearby places.
Longbill spearfish are found in offshore and deep waters. They prefer temperate waters, and are known to migrate as the water turns cold for them. The longbill spearfish needs to take care of its diet and hence is found wherever there is a possibility of pelagic fish.
They thus follow locations where tunas, sardines and squids are found. They are migratory fish but are mostly found around the Atlantic Ocean.
Shortbill spearfish are known to occupy open waters and do not stray away from the surface. They are found in Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The Mediterranean spearfish is a type of shortbill spearfish found in the Mediterranean Sea region and nearby places.
Who do spearfish live with?
The spearfish do not live in schools. They are usually solitary species.
How long does a spearfish live?
The spearfish mature at the age of 2 years and usually do not live for more than 4.5 years.
How do they reproduce?
There is no sexual dimorphism in spearfishes. Their fertilization is in open water by egg scattering. They don’t guard their young ones. The first spawning occurs by the end of the first year. Few females survive after a second spawn. Females spawn once a year. Spawning takes place across the tropical and subtropical Atlantic between November to May.
What is their conservation status?
The longbill spearfish is listed as species of Least Concern by the Red List of IUCN. They are also listed as highly migratory species according to the 1982 Convention Annex I.
Encouragement of catch-and-release sport fishing, and recommendations of circle hooks in place of J-hooks are measures to increase the chances of survival of longbill spearfish.
The STECF is particularly worried about the lack of attention given to longbill spearfish. So STECF recommends accurate monitoring of this species.
The Mediterranean spearfish is generally not hunted for commercial purposes but it should still be monitored carefully. It is listed as species of Least Concern by the Red List of IUCN. The Mediterranean Spearfish catches have to be reported by the Mediterranean States according to the STECF.
Spearfish Fun Facts
What do spearfish look like?
The longbill spearfish sports a slender body. It has a dorsal fin which is known to be higher than that of a typical Marlin but shorter than a Sailfish. Longbill spearfish is lightweight due to its unique body shape. Like the Blue and White Marlin, the color of the longbill spearfish is dark navy blue with a silvery-white underbelly.
The bill of longbill spearfish resembles a spear. It has a bill longer than that of the shortbill spearfish. Its fins are dark brown to black color. Its two anal fins are a few inches away from its falcate tailfin.
Shortbill spearfish has a black band in its upper part and a silverish-white color in the lower part of its body. Its dorsal and ventral fins are stark black, but the anal fins are white in color.
Their tails and pectoral fins are black in color and their outer surfaces are white in color. The shortbill spearfish has the shortest bill with respect to all other spearfish. They have a very light weight and lean body.
*This is a photo of a striped marlin.
How cute are they?
They are not necessarily cute to the eye as they look more fierce in the world of fishes.
How do they communicate?
Like most fish they communicate through sounds.
How big is a spearfish?
The spearfish is 90 in (230 cm) in length, and is of the same size as of a swordfish.
How fast can a spearfish swim?
The speed of a spearfish has not not been recorded.
How much does a spearfish weigh?
Spearfish weigh around 19 - 39 lb (9 - 18 kg). The maximum recorded shortbill spearfish weight is around 114.64 lb (52 kg).
What are male and female names of the species?
There is no distinct name of male and female spearfish.
What would you call a baby spearfish?
Baby spearfish is also called a spearfish.
What do they eat?
The longbill spearfish and the shortbill spearfish are known to eat pelagic fishes. The longbill spearfish eat squids, tuna, flying fishes and needlefish. Shortbill spearfish eating habits generally consist of smaller fishes.
Are they eaten by humans?
Yes, humans eat spearfish in some areas. In Hawaii, spearfish is a menu item in a few eateries.
Would they make a good pet?
No, they would not make a good pet because they eat other fishes for survival and hence their diet will be difficult to sustain. Their size makes it more difficult to cater them in home environments.
Did you know...
The scientific name of longbill spearfish is in the honour of Albert Pflueger, a famous fisherman and taxidermist.
Spearfish Canyon is a deep gorge in South Dakota US.
Spearfish sd 57783 is the code of a city known as spearfish in Lawrence County of South Dakota in the United States.
For spearfishing of longbill spearfish texas is the best place to go.
Different types of spearfish
Longbill spearfish: found in the Atlantic Ocean. It has the longest spear shaped bill among all spearfish. It is larger in size than the shortbill counterpart.
Shortbill spearfish: found in Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is smaller in size than the longbill spearfish. It has more elements in its dorsal fin than the Mediterranean Spearfish.
Mediterranean spearfish: found in the Mediterranean Sea. It is smaller in size than the longbill spearfish. It has fewer elements in its dorsal fin than the pacific shortbill Spearfish.
Spearfish vs. swordfish
Swordfish vs longbill spearfish: the spearfish has a single dorsal fin while the swordfish has a dorsal fin like that of a shark and extends like a feather.
Swordfish’s pectoral fins extend much below its body while spearfish has a very small pectoral fin.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these sawfish facts and spiny dogfish facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable spearfish coloring pages.
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