Cause of the Month
MAY 2024
The sailfish is a beautiful, fast-moving and muscular predator that’s always on the move. It can accelerate at tremendous rates, hunts in large groups and covers incredible distances.
Early estimates of the speed of sailfish from the ‘40s suggested it could swim at bursts of up to 67 mph, making it significantly faster than pretty much everything in the ocean.
Sailfish broadcast their moods through changes in skin color, and not just when they are hunting food where they have been witnessed darkening up as they prepare to attack prey.
They can also change to a copper/bronze, neon blue and purplish tints on their skin when they’re tired or excited – which is controlled by their nervous system.
Exactly why they change color is still debated by the experts, but most agree it’s a physiological change, similar to how humans can go pink when embarrassed.