''Tetrapturus'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
marlin
Marlins are fish from the family Istiophoridae, which includes about 10 species. A marlin has an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long, rigid dorsal fin which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name is thought to deri ...
s commonly called spearfish, found in tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the world. Some are popular
sport fish
Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish pursued by recreational anglers, and can be freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, or released after capture. Some game fish are also targeted commercial ...
in
big-game fishing
Big-game fishing, also known as offshore sportfishing, offshore gamefishing or blue-water fishing, is a form of recreational fishing targeting large game fish, usually done on a large body of water such as the ocean.
History
Big-game fishing st ...
.
Species
There are currently four recognized species in this genus:
* ''
Tetrapturus angustirostris''
S. Tanaka (I), 1915 (Shortbill spearfish)
* ''
Tetrapturus belone''
Rafinesque
Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz (; October 22, 1783September 18, 1840) was a French 19th-century polymath born near Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire and self-educated in France. He traveled as a young man in the United States, ultimat ...
, 1810 (Mediterranean spearfish)
* ''
Tetrapturus georgii''
R. T. Lowe, 1841 (Roundscale spearfish)
* ''
Tetrapturus pfluegeri''
C. R. Robins & de Sylva, 1963 (Longbill spearfish)
References
Marine fish genera
Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque
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