BLUE MARLIN

By Shon Wiles

Kingdom• Animalia

Phylum• Chordata

Class• Actinopterygii

Order• Perciformes

TAXONOMICAL INFO

Family• Istiophoridae

Genus• Makaira

Species• Makaira nigricans

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Belly: silvery white

Top: Cobalt Blue

Upper Jaw: Elongated Spear

Tail: Cresent-shaped

Dorsal/Anal Fins: Pointed

Lateral Line: Interwoven

Max Length – Male: 368 cm.

Max Length – Female: 626 cm.

LIFE FACTS

Rapid growth for a few years.

Age 2 (males) and Age 4 (females) - sexual maturity

Highly fertile – 500K to 55M eggs per spawn• Age• Weight

Estimated maximum age is greater than 20

Seafood Watch - cite

REPRODUCTION

Female releases eggs, Male releases sperm• Fertilization happens in open water

Eggs float with the current

Eggs hatch into larvae• two days after fertilization

No parental care• High mortality

FEEDING

Hunt during the daytime• Alone• Use of bill (slice/stun)

Prey• Octopi• Squid• Blackfin Tuna• Frigate Mackeral

CONSERVATION

Decreasing Population• High vulnerability of extinction from fishing

Low survival rate when released• Required billfish release if within 200 miles of U.S.

coastline

Longline Fishing• Caribbean Region

• Over 1k tons taken by Japanese and Cuban fisherman

Longline Fisheries• 73% incidental landings

Swordfish Fisheries• By-catch

Big Game Recreational

Fishing

Predators• Carcharodon carcharias

(white shark)• Isurus oxyrhinchus

(shortfin mako)

THREATS

Parasites• Digenea (flukes)• Didymozoidea (tissue

fluke)• Monogenea (gillworms)• Cestoda (tapeworms)• Nematoda

(roundworms)• Acantheocephia (spiny-

head worms)• Copepods• Barnacles

FAST FACTS

Highly Migratory

Largest Pacific• 1,376 lb. May 31, 1982• Kaaiwai Point, Kona

Largest Atlantic• 1,402 lb 2 oz. Feb 29, 1992• Vitoria, Brazil

Rumored 3,000 lb get-away

Most fish over 300 lb - female

WORKS CITED

“Anatomy of the Blue Marlin.” Blue Marlin 3 Charters – Sport Big Game Fishing – Hochsee Angeln – Sportvissen – Puerto Rico – Gran

Canaria. Web. 7 Oct 2011. http://www.bluemarlin3.com/tbf/anatomy-bluemarlin.php.

“Blue Marlins, Blue Marlin Pictures, Blue Marlin Facts – National Geographic.” Aniamals – Animal Pictures – Wild Animal Facts – Nat

Geo Wild – National Geographic. Web. 9 Oct 2011. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/blue-marlin.

"Blue Marlins, Makaira Nigricans at MarineBio.org." MarineBio.org - Marine Biology, Ocean Life Conservation, Sea Creatures,

Biodiversity, Oceans Research... Web. 27 Nov. 2011. http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=386.

“FLMNH Ichthyology Department: Blue Marlin.” Florida Museum of Natural History. Web. 8 Oct 2011.

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/descript/bluemarlin/bluemarlin.html.

“Makaira Nigricans – Lacepede, 1802.” Iucnsis.org. Species Information Service. Web. 9 Oct 2011.

https://sis.iucnsis.org/reports/draft/170314_0?empty=false&limited=true.

Mazurek, Robert, and Jesse Marsh. "Seafood Watch - Seafood Report -Blue Marlin - Striped Marling - Hawaii Region." Monterey Bay

Aquarium. 25 Apr. 2008. Web. 15 Oct. 2011. http://

www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/content/media/MBA_SeafoodWatch_HIStripedBlueMarlinReport.pdf .

"The Biggest Marlin Ever Caught." Marlinmag. Ed. Staff. Bonnier Corporation, 07 Dec. 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. http://

www.marlinmag.com/species/fish-species/biggest-marlin-ever-caught.

"Understanding Marlin Reproduction." LahainaNews.com | News, Information, Lahaina and Western Maui, Hawaii — Lahaina News .

Web. 27 Nov. 2011.

http://lahainanews.com/page/content.detail/id/500184/Understanding-marlin_reproduction.html?nav=21.