with angling tournaments which in turn relate to summer vacations 

 of tourists and the tendency of most anglers to fish only during the 

 day and when the weather is favorable. Angling for biUfish during 

 the "off-season" may well produce good results in areas which 

 usually are heavily fished only at certain periods. New billfishing 

 regions probably can be developed, but this reouires the assistance 

 of local governments to provide or ensure aaequate sportfishing 

 vessels, docks, bait, and, especially, qualified captains and crews. 



Because of the relative inefficiency of the gear used by anglers to 

 catch billfish, it is unlikely that angling can deplete the billfish 

 stocks, other factors such as natural environmental fluctuations, 

 pollution, or commercial fishing being equal. There is evidence that 

 commercial fishing in the eastern Pacific is affecting the sport 

 catches of sailfish and striped marlin. Based on commercial catch 

 data, the mean size of sailfish and striped marlin and their hooking 

 rate have decreased. In the Caribbean the catch rate of blue marlin 

 and white marlin by commercial fishermen has decreased; this 

 phenomenon may be attributed to heavy commercial fishing 

 pressure from longline fleets. 



The economic value of the billfish sport fishery is extremely high 

 to local communities which support angling activities. In spite of 

 some aesthetic feelings which promote releasing of biUfish which 

 are not tagged, it would appear that catches by anglers could be 

 retained for human consumption without seriously depleting the 

 stocks, thus further contributing to local economy. 



Sport fishing for billfishes poses special problems because of the 

 complexity, expense, expertise required, and lack of basic 

 information on the fisheries and the fishermen. Possible solutions to 

 these are discussed. 



(675.) Proceedings of the International Billfish Symposium, 

 Kailua-Kona. Hawaii, 9- 12 August 1972. Part 2. Review 

 and Contributed Papers — The Paleontology of Billfish— 

 The State of the Art. By Harry L. Fierstine. July 1974, p. 

 34-44. 



ABSTRACT 



The major osteological features are described for living 

 billfishes. All billfish remains are reviewed critically and some 

 questionable forms are placed in Xiphioidei Incertae Sedis 

 (uncertain status). The remaining xiphioids are placed into three 

 families: Istiophoridae. Xiphiidae. and Xiphiorhynchidae. A new 

 undescribed xiphiid from Mississippi shows that the billfish line- 

 ages must have diverged prior to the Eocene. Areas of research 

 are suggested that will help place the paleontological studies on 

 a more secure foundation. 



(675.) Proceedings of the International Billfish Symposium, 

 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, 9-12 August 1972. Part 2. Review 

 and Contributed Papers— Some Aspects of the System- 

 atics and Distribution of Billfishes. By Izumi Nakamura. 

 July 1974, p. 45-53. 



ABSTRACT 



Until recently the classification of billfishes (Xiphiidae and 

 Istiophoridae) was confused. Recent workers have consolidated the 

 nommal species and reduced the number of species considerably. A 

 key. with figures, is presented which includes two families, four 

 genera, and 11 species. Makaira mazara is considered distinct from 

 M. nigricans because of consistent differences in the pattern of the 

 lateral line .system. Tetrapterus platypterus is tentatively 

 separated from T. albicans although existing differences are minor 

 and could be referable to the subspecific level. The worldwide 

 distribution of billfishes is given; distributions are based primarily 

 on data from the Japanese longline catch for 1964-69. 



(675.) Proceedings of the International Billfish Symposium, 

 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, 9-12 August 1972. Part 2. Review 

 and Contributed Papers— The Validity and Status of the 

 Roundscale Spearfish, Tetrapturus georgei By C. 

 Richard Robins. July 1974, p. 54-61. 



ABSTRACT 



A fourth Atlantic species of the isliophorid genus Tetrapturus 

 was discovered in 1961 among commercial catches landed in Sicily. 

 Portugal, and Spain. Subsequent efforts to obtain information have 

 failed because the fishermen do not distinguish the species and it is 



apparently much less common than T. belone in Sicily and T. albidus 

 in Spain and Portugal. 



The species is described in detail. Important distinguishing 

 features are: the form of the scales on the midside. the shape of the 

 lobes of the spinous dorsal and anal fins, the position of tne anus, 

 and the pectoral fin length. 



The nomenclatural validity of Tetrapturus georgei Lowe is 

 discussed and reasons are given for applying this name to the newly 

 discovered species. 



(675.) Proceedings of the International Billfish Symposium, 

 Kailua Kona, Hawaii, 9-12 August 1972. Part 2. Review 

 and Contributed Papers— Evaluation of Identification 

 Methods for Young Billfishes. By William J. Richards. 

 July 1974, p. 62-72. 



ABSTRACT 



Most of the papers published from 1831 to date which deal with 

 the identification of young billfishes (Families Xiphiidae and 

 Istiophoridae) are reviewed. The present knowledge of the 

 identification of adults is compared with the identification of young 

 and problem areas are defined. Suggestions are made to resolve the 

 present problems encountered with the identification of the young 

 stages (eggs, larvae, and juveniles). These suggestions include the 

 need for detailed osteological descriptions of the young, the need for 

 an increased effort to collect specimens, and the need to artificially 

 rear specimens in the laboratory. 



(675.) Proceedings of the International Billfish Symposium, 

 Kailua Kona, Hawaii, 9-12 August 1972. Part 2. Review 

 and Contributed Papers— On an Additional Diagnostic 

 Character for the Identification of Billfish Larvae with 

 Some Notes on the Variations in Pigmentation. By Shoji 

 Ueyanagi. July 1974, p. 73-78. 



ABSTRACT 



The larvae of five species of billfishes (Istiophoridae) occurring 

 in the Indian and Pacific Oceans — sailfish, Istiophorus platypterus; 

 shortbill spearfish. Tetrapturus angustirostris; striped marlin. T. 

 audax: blue marlin. Makaira mazara; and black marlin, M. 

 mrfjca— have now been identified. The identification of these larvae 

 has depended on such characters as the shape of the pectoral fin. 

 pigmentation of the branchiostegal membrane, pigmentation of the 

 lower jaw membrane, and head profile. 



Some problems in identification remain, however, as for 

 example in the differentiation between very small larvae (under 7 

 mm) of striped marlin and blue marlin. Recent studies have resulted 

 in additional diagnostic characters which differentiate between 

 these two species, namely the differences in the pterotic and 

 preopercular spines. 



The larvae of sailfish generally have pigment on the posterior 

 half of the lower jaw. and this pigmentation is recognized to be 

 species specific. There exist, however, some larvae of this species 

 which lack this characteristic pigmentation, and the occurrence of 

 these larvae seems to vary geographically from the more typical 

 sailfish larvae. 



(675.) Proceedings of the Internationa! Billfish Symposium, 

 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, 9-12 August 1972. Part 2. Review 

 and Contributed Papers— Comparative Development of 

 Atlantic and Mediterranean Billfishes (Istiophoridae). By 

 Donald P. de Sylva and Shoji Ueyanagi. July 1974, p. 79. 

 Abstract only. 



ABSTRACT 



Developmental stages from about 5 mm to the adult stage are 

 described, illustrated, and compared for the following species: 

 Atlantic sailfish. Istiophorus platypterus; while marlm. letrap- 

 turns albidus; Mediterranean spearfish. Tetrapturus belone; 

 longbill spearfish. Tetrapturus pfluegeri; and Atlantic blue marlin. 

 Makaira nigricans. Most descriptions are based on material from the 

 western North Atlantic Ocean mcluding the DAN.^ collections from 

 the Sargasso Sea. The status of two other hiWUsh — Tetrapturus 

 georgei from the ea.stern Atlantic and the so called "hatchet marlin" 

 of the western Atlantic— is di.scussed briefly in reference to the 

 identity of an unidentifiable juvenile from the Mediterranean Sea. 



