Roundscale Spearfish

Tetrapturus georgii has a robust and not very compressed body. Tetrapturus species are not known to show a sexual dimorphism in morphological features and color pattern. For T. georgii as well, females (150 cm body length; and 20 kg body weight) are mostly the same dimension as the males (160 cm body length and 21.5 kg body weight) Tetrapturus georgii is characterized by its moderately long, slender rostrum, rounded in cross section (length usually at least equal to head). Its body is slim, and it has a moderate hump on the nape. It is dark blue above, coppery on the sides and silver below colors and may display iridescent bars on body. The branchiostegal membranes on the sides of its head are completely united but free from the isthmus. The jaws and palate have small, file-like teeth. It has two dark blue dorsal fins. The first is higher at the front, with a rounded lobe, extending from the head to just before the second dorsal fin which is smaller. Two anal fins are present, the first being high and rounded, and the second like the second dorsal fin. The pectoral fins are long, almost equal to the pelvic fins. The caudal peduncle has keels on each side. The lateral line is simple. The scales on the sides of the body are soft, while those on the dorsal and ventral parts are stiff. …

Tetrapturus georgii is endemic to the Atlantic Ocean. Most specimens of this species are found in Madeira, Sicily, the Straits of Gibraltar, and the adjacent Atlantic Ocean off southern Portugal. But observations have been made all around the Atlantic Ocean from North to South and East to West. It's not unusual for them to make long migrations across the ocean. The nursery areas for larval and juveniles stages remain unknown.

Feeding habits of Tetrapturus georgii have not been reported in scientific literature. But the same way as their related cousins, the roundscale spearfish probably feed on schooling fishes, bony fishes, squid, octopuses and cuttlefishes. The billfishes are high trophic level predators. Tetrapturus georgii could be a host of the parasite Capsala laevis.