The soft power of sailfish bills
Highspeed video reveals unusually powerful motion, but specialized weapon can also gently
nudge prey.
23 April 2014
The sailfish’s swordlike bill looks as if it was made to slash at prey. But a study published today in
Proceedings of the Royal Society B
1 reveals that the bill is actually a multifunctional killing tool, enabling
the fish to perform delicate, as well as swashbuckling, manoeuvres.