Istiophor

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large predatory fish of warm seas characterized by an elongated body and a distinctive, spear-like upper jaw used for hunting prey
2. A fast-swimming oceanic fish notable for its elongated upper jaw resembling a spear, commonly found in tropical and subtropical waters
3. A marine fish known for its streamlined form and pointed, sword-like snout used to slash or stun prey while swimming rapidly in warm ocean waters

Etymology: Istiophorus is the genus name that gave the group its label, and the word "istiophorid" (the family, Istiophoridae) is built from it, so "istiophor" is a shortened form of that scientific family name. The core of the word is Greek. "Istion" meant "sail" in ancient Greek, a reference to the large dorsal fin of sailfish, while "-phoros" comes from "pherein," "to bear" or "to carry." Taken together, the name describes a fish that carries a sail. The name is a scientific coinage rather than an ancient one. Naturalists in the 18th and 19th centuries used Greek roots to name newly described animals, so the fish's name was assembled from classical parts long after the Greeks had any idea of marlins or sailfish. The "sail" in the name refers to the tall dorsal fin, which is most prominent in sailfish, and the same fin shape gives the family its characteristic look.

Synonyms: sailfish