SPEARFISHES OF THE CENTRAL PACIFIC 



523 



Figure 24. — Distribution of POFI catches of sailfish, Isliophorus orientalis. Fractions indicate stations at which catches 

 were reported out of the total fished; decimals indicate average catch per 100 hooks per day. 



Size 



Specimens which we liave weighed in tlie POFI 

 catches ranged from 26 to 106 pounds. Weights 

 of 1 1 Honolulu market specimens recorded in 

 July and August 1950 by the Hawaiian Division 

 of Fish and Game ranged from 25 to 114 pounds 

 with all but 1 weighing less than 45 pounds. 

 Xakamura (1949) stated that sailfish attain a 

 weight of 132 pounds. 



Food 



Probably these fish are broadly carnivorous like 

 the other spearfishes but perhaps it is significant 

 that 8 of the 9 stomachs examined contained 

 squid, which usually was the predominant food. 

 The other food items included octopus, nautilus, 

 Alepisaurus, one bramid, and one pilot fish. 



Synonymy and references 



Isliophorus (Hisliophorus) orientalis, Temminck and 

 Schlegel, in Siebold, 1844:103, pi. 55 (Japan); Jordan 

 and Evermann, 1926:46, pi. 15, fig. 1 (Japan); Fowler, 

 1928:136 (Hawaii); Nakamura, 1938:25 (Formosa); 

 Nakamura, 1940 (South China Sea); LaMonte and 

 Marcy, 1941:2 (Hawaii, Japan); Nakamura, 1942 

 (Formosa); Hirasaka and Nakamura 1947:12, pi. 1, 

 fig. 2 (Formosa); Fowler, 1949:74 (Tahiti); Naka- 

 mura, 1949:58 (from northea.stern Japan south); 

 Brock, 1950:146 (Hawaii); Ro.sa, 1950:151 (western 

 Pacific from Indonesia to Vladivostok, Hawaii); De 

 Beaufort and Chapman, 1951:241 (Singapore, Java, 

 Japan, Siam, Hawaii); Yabe, 1953 (Japan); Murphy 

 and Otsu, 1954 (Caroline Islands). 



Isliophorus eriquius, Jordan and Ball, in Jordan and 

 Evermann, 1926:48, pi. 15, fig. 2. 



Isliophorus brookei, Fowler, 1934:400 (Tahiti). 



Bashokajiki, sailfish, Xakamura, 1944b. 



