[speer-fish] 
noun, plural (especially collectively
) -fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) -fish⋅es, verb | 1. | any of several fishes of the genus Tetrapturus, resembling the sailfish but having the first dorsal fin much less developed: inhabiting all seas, but rare. |
| 2. | any of several related fishes. |
| 3. | to fish underwater using a spearlike implement used manually or propelled mechanically. |
| spear·fish 1 (spîr'fĭsh') n. pl. spearfish or spear·fish·es Either of two large marine game fishes (Tetrapturus angustirostris or T. belone) related to the sailfish and marlin, having the upper jaw elongated into a spearlike projection. |
| spear·fish 2 (spîr'fĭsh') intr.v. spear·fished, spear·fish·ing, spear·fish·es To fish with a spear, spearlike implement, or spear gun. spear'fish'er n., spear'fish'ing n. |
spearfish
any of certain marine fishes of the genus Tetrapterus, family Istiophoridae (order Perciformes). Spearfishes are characterized by a relatively short snout in comparison with other spear-nosed fishes. Several species may be recognized; two, T. audax and T. albidus, are commonly called marlin (q.v.). The shortbill, or short-nosed, spearfish (T. angustirostris or T. brevirostris) is a Pacific member of the genus-scarce, little-known, and rather small for a billfish. Blue above and silvery below, it usually does not exceed 1.8 m (6 feet) and 27 kg (60 pounds). The species T. belone is a Mediterranean form resembling T. angustirostris.
Learn more about spearfish with a free trial on Britannica.com.