Sailfish Life Cycle in the Fast Lane
Posted by Meggs | Fish Life Cycle Posts | Posted on May 3rd, 2008
An unofficial Australian record salifish caught on a Whitsunday Bareboat
Well hello again!
This week has been yet another hectic one with a few additions to the www.skippermeggs.com website including video footage of what has been suggested is an unofficial all time Australian record sailfish. Caught by Gary Picken, a crew member on a Skipper Meggs voyage on a 35 foot Whitsunday Island Bareboat Cruiser, the photo here doesn’t do the catch justice but the video below will give you a better view.
If you want to have a good laugh, why not visit the “Funny Stuff” section? If you have ever bought anything from eBay, or know somebody who has, then you would absolutely love this video clip;
http://skippermeggs.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=102&Itemid=35
Complete with an estimated speed of over 110km per hour this week’s topic for the Northern Australian fish life cycles series is the Istiophorus Platypterus commonly known as the Sailfish.
By the way, apparently the speed of the sailfish was estimated after 300 foot of fishing line was stripped in 3 seconds – talk about being spooled!
Also, for the record and by way of comparison, a well fed goldfish in peak condition can reach speeds of up to 2.3km per hour.
Ok, the Sailfish is common in tropical and subtropical waters in all three major oceans worldwide and is said to be able to eject its stomach out of its mouth and then suck it back in again to get rid of anything that doesn’t take its fancy after being swallowed.
Mating males and females will swim in pairs or two or three males will chase the one female (wouldn’t you know it!) obviously depending on how pretty she is.
Spawning can take place up to three times within a season and it is thought that the summer months are the most common times for the fish to spawn in relatively shallow water near reefs.
Over one million eggs will be released during this time and once fertilized by the male they will hatch within 36 hours giving birth to a larval stage of about 10mm in length. These will live close to the surface unfortunately making them an easy target for predators.
In fact, of the one million eggs produced only about half a dozen sailfish will make it to maturity.
After one year they reach a size of between 1.2 and 1.4 meters.
Sexual maturity is reached at a length of about 1.5 meters however there are certain assertions made that Western Australia sailfish reach maturity at 23kg whilst East Coast fish do so at between 30-35kg.
Adult sailfish can live up to between 10-13 years and weigh in at over 100kg. The world record sailfish is 100.24Kg and 3.4 meters in length. The Australian record is 78Kg although the members of the Fishing & Reef Tour Specialists (F&RTS) tagged and released a specimen from a bareboat in the Whitsundays in 2006 that would have tested that record. Sorry about the language but watch the video and you be the judge!
A sailfish tagged in Queensland was recaptured thirteen days later after travelling 106 nautical miles.
It’s getting closer to the Weipa trip for Skipper Meggs and the F&RTS team so next week I’ll take a look at a special crustacean that our group may target whilst away.
Until then….
Sea you later,
Skipper Meggs