"In the western North Atlantic, fishes int he family Istiophoridae (billfishes) are highly sought after gamefishes that are often taken incidentally in commercial fishing operations (Hoey, 1995). Stock assessments suggesting severe declines in the populations of some species have led to increased regulation and intense public debate about management of these fishes (Anonymous, 2002). Rational management regimes require accurate stock assessments which in turn rely on data collection of catch and effort. Since these data are often self-reported by recreational and commercial fishermen, accurate species identification is of critical importance. At this time, there are four species of Istiophoridae commonly accepted as occuring in the western North Atlantic (Schulze-Haugen et al., 2003): blue marlin Makaira nigricans, white marlin Tetrapturus albidus, longbill spearfish T. pfluegeri, and Atlantic sailfish Istiophorus albicans"--Introduction, paragraph 1.

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