The Sailfishes
BODY elongate, much compressed, covered with elongate scutes; bones of upper jaw consolidated into a sword, which is roundish on the edges and spear-like, shorter than in Xiphias; jaws with small, persistent granular teeth; ventral fins of 1 or 2 rays each, attached to a pelvic arch; dorsal single or divided into 2 contiguous portions, the first much longer than the second, the fin-rays distinct, the first rays of dorsal distinctly spinous; anal divided, last rays of dorsal and anal suctorial; caudal peduncle with 2 fleshy crests or keels; vertebrae 12+12=24, elongate, hourglass-shaped; neural and haemal spines flag-like; ribs well developed; air-bladder very large, sacculate, of numerous separate divisions; intestine short, straight; gills reticulated as in Xiphias. Two genera, with about 5 species, oceanic, similar in character and habits to the swordfishes, but smaller in size.