What type of billfish is this?

[DHO]

I caught (and released) this small billfish in the Pacific near Cabo San Lucas a couple of weeks ago. Initially it was said to be a small striped marlin, then the mate claimed it was a white marlin becasue of the short dorsal fin, but later said it wasn't a striped or white, but couldn't remember the name of it. From my research I think its a young blue marlin. Any ideas what it is or who to send the pic to for positive ID? -Thanks!

[af dreamer]

Not a white,a blue the dorsal is shoter than the depth of the body and a stripper is taller than the depth of the body.Tom

[?? fisherman]

Any more pics?

That thing has one very small pectoral fin! It's tripping me out..... weird..... who knows, maybe from an encounter in it's earlier years of life. Do you remember if the other pectoral fin was really small like that?

The unknown fisherman:P:

[pele]

that white vs striped is a wholllle big topic!I'm glad you got a picture.I've been told a couple times that I had whites(never took a picture).Immature stripey?white?,are they even really separate species or just long lost cousins?The more I read up,the more it gets muddied.I hope the real experts weigh in,you've got bigfoot on film-let's hear!

[mattbush]

They get whites down there every once in a while. Could be.

[bertram31]

short billed spearfish

Jack

[la vida]

Originally Posted by bertram31

short billed spearfish

Jack

Thats what my first thought was.
But I'm no expert.

[neil c]

looks like a striped marlin to me.

[bertram31]

The bill is a little long though. The long billed spearfish resides more in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. What seems to say spearfish though is the very high pointy drosal fin. Had the angler strecthed out the dorsal more it would show how oddly uneven and pointy high it is.

Jack

[?? fisherman]

Originally Posted by bertram31

short billed spearfish

Jack

My very first take was that as well, but you cant really see how long the bill is, plus the fish has a very large tail, and the short billed SF have the smallest tail of all bill fishes..... so that kinda throws that out for me anyways.

Still tripping on how crazy small the pectoral is on the one side. Birth defect or what? Then again the pectoral on the spearfish are the smallest of all the billfish also.

If that were a spearfish, then it would be a pretty damn healthy one..... just dont think it is though.

The unknown fisherman