Is the sailfish endangered?

The sailfish is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Vulnerable.

Where does the sailfish live in the US?

NatureServe lists it as native in Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas. GBIF records are reported most often from Florida, North Carolina, Hawaii, Louisiana and South Carolina.

How long does a sailfish live?

The longest recorded lifespan in AnAge is 13 years in the wild. This is a record, not a typical lifespan.

When is the sailfish reported most often?

GBIF records in the United States fall most often in May, August and September. Records reflect when people look and report.

All species › Fish › Sailfish

Sailfish

Istiophorus platypterus

Fish · family Istiophoridae · order Carangiformes

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Endangered Species Act: Not listed^[1]
Native in: 3 states^[2]
Longest recorded life: 13 years^[3]

The sailfish is a fish in the family Istiophoridae^[4]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Vulnerable, and NatureServe lists it as native in Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas^[5]^[2].

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Vulnerable^[5]. The sailfish is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data checked on 2026-10-30^[1]. NatureServe also gives state ranks in 3 states: Louisiana S3, South Carolina SU and Texas S3^[6].

Status	Value
Endangered Species Act^[1]	Not listed
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)^[5]	Vulnerable

Where Sailfish lives

NatureServe lists the sailfish as native in 3 US states and territories: Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas^[2]. People report it on GBIF most often in Florida, North Carolina, Hawaii, Louisiana and South Carolina^[7]. Those counts follow where people look and report, so they do not show how many animals live there^[7].

State presence as recorded by NatureServe^[6].

Native
Introduced
Extirpated or possibly extirpated

Show state ranks (3 states)

State	Rank	Meaning
Louisiana	S3	Vulnerable
South Carolina	SU	Unrankable
Texas	S3	Vulnerable

Lifespan

The longest recorded lifespan in AnAge is 13 years in the wild^[3]. This is a record and not a typical lifespan^[3].

Trait	Value
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)^[3]	13 years (wild)

When to look for it

GBIF observation records of the sailfish in the United States are most common in May, August and September^[8]. These records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are^[8].

US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are^[8].

Show records by month

Month	Records
January	14
February	10
March	9
April	6
May	73
June	20
July	35
August	44
September	58
October	9
November	8
December	3

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Sailfish as present in 1 park units^[9]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

Biscayne National Park

States with the most GBIF observation records: Florida, North Carolina, Hawaii, Louisiana, South Carolina^[7]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the sailfish endangered?: The sailfish is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data^[1]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Vulnerable^[5].
Where does the sailfish live in the US?: NatureServe lists it as native in Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas^[2]. GBIF records are reported most often from Florida, North Carolina, Hawaii, Louisiana and South Carolina^[7].
How long does a sailfish live?: The longest recorded lifespan in AnAge is 13 years in the wild^[3]. This is a record, not a typical lifespan^[3].
When is the sailfish reported most often?: GBIF records in the United States fall most often in May, August and September^[8]. Records reflect when people look and report^[8].

Facts and sources

Sailfish is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
NatureServe lists Sailfish as native in 3 US states and territories: Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas. NatureServe Explorer
Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 13 years in the wild. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) is a fish in the family Istiophoridae, order Carangiformes. NatureServe Explorer
IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Vulnerable. NatureServe Explorer
NatureServe state ranks for Sailfish (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
US states with the most GBIF observation records of Sailfish: Florida, North Carolina, Hawaii, Louisiana, South Carolina. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
GBIF observation records of Sailfish in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
NPSpecies park lists recording Sailfish as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.