# What kind of fish is this?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-fish-is-this/144505>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 23, 2002, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-fish-is-this/144505 "2002-12-23T07:37:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-fish-is-this/144505/1 "2002-12-23T07:37:11Z")

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What kind of fish is on the wall in [this photograph](http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4074548&a=30450554&p=62248491&f=0)?

I’ve temporarily labeled it a Blue Marlin, but the dorsal fin is bigger than what I see in other photos of Blue Marlins.

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**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-fish-is-this/144505/2 "2002-12-23T08:02:44Z")

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Sailfish _Istiophorus platypterus_.

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**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-fish-is-this/144505/3 "2002-12-23T13:28:24Z")

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could be a blue marlin also… what color was it?

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**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-fish-is-this/144505/4 "2002-12-23T14:17:25Z")

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It is a [sailfish](http://marinefisheries.org/FishID/billsail.html).

A [marlin](http://indian-river.fl.us/fishing/fish/billblue.html) has a much smaller dorsal fin.

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**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-fish-is-this/144505/5 "2002-12-23T16:42:19Z")

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Not to be mean, but…from the caption of the original photo (bolding mine):

> [@](#):
>
> 1983-84. (Photo courtesy of University of Wisconsin Archives. **Sailfish** courtesy of Chi Phi Fraternity.)

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-fish-is-this/144505/6 "2002-12-23T16:54:00Z")

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Yes, **mnemosyne**. Based on **Desmostylus** ’s answer, I changed the caption on the photo from “Blue Marlin” to “Sailfish”.