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State Fish
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Florida Symbols
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Florida State Saltwater Fish
Atlantic Sailfish
(Istiophorus platypterus)
Adopted in 1975.
Florida adopted the Atlantic Sailfish, Istiophorus platypterus, in 1975.
The Florida Department of Natural Resources reports that in the 25-year period ending in 1975, more than 14,000 sailfish were tagged and released. Sailfish-mania in Florida is evidenced by the increasing number of sailfish tournaments each year in this state.
Description of the Florida State Saltwater Fish
Average size and weight taken from Florida waters is 7' and 27 pounds. Author Ernest Hemingway landed a 9'1" sailfish in 1934 off Key West. Naturally, with its colorful and characteristic sail, the specimen frequently ends up on a den wall. The sailfish, Istiophorus platypterus, resembles a torpedo when swimming, and can reach speeds of 60 mph.
Habitat
Sailfish are not peculiar to Florida; they are found nearly everywhere there is warm ocean water. However, Florida sail fishing is legendary, especially in the Ft. Pierce, Miami and Keys areas during colder months. Sailfish migrate southward as the weather chills in the north.
A female sailfish releases several million eggs each year. Growth of the fish is rapid; a fertilized egg hatches within a day and a half, and by the end of the first year of life, a fish may have attained 6' in length. Experts believe the fish has a life span of up to ten years, but most are thought to live only 3 or 4 years.
Taxonomic Hierarchy of the Atlantic Sailfish
| Kingdom |
Animalia -- animals |
| Phylum |
Chordata -- chordates |
| Subphylum |
Vertebrata -- vertebrates |
| Class |
Actinopterygii -- ray-finned and spiny rayed fishes |
| Subclass |
Neopterygii |
| Order |
Perciformes, perch-like fishes |
| Family |
Istiophoridae |
| Genus |
Istiophorus |
| Species |
Istiophorus platypterus |
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State Fishes
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This is a list of official and *unofficial U.S. state fish:
The only states lacking a state fish as of 2008 are Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, and Ohio.
fish ('fish)
n. pl. fish or fishˇes
1. Any of numerous cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates of the superclass Pisces, characteristically
having fins, gills, and a streamlined body and including specifically:
2. The flesh of such animals used as food.
3. Any of various primitive aquatic vertebrates of the class Cyclostomata, lacking jaws
and including the lampreys and hagfishes.
4. Any of various unrelated aquatic animals, such as a jellyfish, cuttlefish, or crayfish.
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