Determining the fastest fish in the world's ocean is not so easy. And yet, scientists managed to find out that the sailfish takes a leading position in this matter. Let's learn more who this sea sprinter is.

Appearance

The fish got its name due to the unusual dorsal fin, which is shaped like a ship's sail. The fish can fold its huge sail when it needs to.

These fish also have a long, spear-like beak that they use to hunt and catch prey.

"Sails" are quite large fish, adults can reach three meters in length and weigh about 100 kilograms.

Habitat

The sailfish can be found in temperate to tropical waters around the world. They're commonly fished in the southeast United States, the Gulf of Mexico, Puerto Rico, Bermuda and the Windward Islands. They're also in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, with some occasionally found in the Mediterranean Sea. 

Lifestyle

The sailfish is one of the fastest and sportiest fish in the world. Chasing prey, "sails" are capable of accelerating up to 110 km per hour. At the same time, scientists noticed that the fish rarely develops such a high speed and spends most of the time slowly swimming no more than 10 km per hour.

These fish like to gather in flocks to hunt. In a large group, they can attack a lot of fish at once, such as shoals of sardines.

The sailfish's size means they're at the top of the food chain. But these huge fish also have enemies — larger predators such as sharks, killer whales and mahi-mahi.