Blue Marlin

By: Garrett Lyons First Block May 2010

ClassificationKingdom: Animal

Phylum: Chordate

Class: Actinopterygii

Classification cont.

Order: Perciformes

Family: Istiophoridae

Classification cont.

Genus: Makaira

Species: nigricans

Scientific NameMakaira nigricans

Blue MarlinCommon Name

UniquenessThe Blue Marlin is found much throughout the western Atlantic. These fish are found in latitudes ranging from 45°N to 35°S.

One unique feature of a Blue Marlin is the long snout that is like a sword. They’re also unique because of how large they can get. They can grow to be 2,000 lbs. and 14 feet long even though they are one of the fastest fish in the ocean. They can reach speeds up to 56 mph.

Habitat/Biome

Blue Marlins live offshore in blue oceanic waters. Usually located in warm waters near the surface above the thermocline. Marlins are found far out, but sometimes they are found near the coast, such as, near the Mississippi River in the Gulf of Mexico.

Marlins are pelagic animals. Meaning they are found in open ocean waters. They live only in saltwater.

Feeding Level

PreyMackerels, tunas, dolphin fishes, and squids have been found in marlin stomachs.

Marlins are not known to feed at night. They can also consume prey of fairly large proportions.

Feeding Level

PredatorsWhite sharks, and shortfin mako are predators of the blue marlin.

Morphology•Sword like snout•Small file-like teeth that line the jaw and the roof of the mouth•Cylindrical from anal fin forward•Two anal fins•Two dorsal fins present—First dorsal fin is high and slopes steeply. Second dorsal fin is small•Pelvic fins are slender •Dark blue shading to a silvery WhiteCovered with elongated, thick bony scales•15 vertical rows of blue spots on the side•Marlins can reach up to 14 feet and weigh up to one ton

World Record Blue

MarlinThis fish is known as “Choy’s Monster,” and caught in 1970. Choy was the name of the captain. It was weighed in Honolulu, Hawaii, and weighed a total of 1805 lbs. This is the largest Blue Marlin that has ever been caught on rod and reel.

ReproductionSpawning occurs from July through October in the North Atlantic. Females can spawn four times during the reproductive season, but males can spawn year round. Blue marlins lay between 7 million to 10 million eggs. The eggs are an opaque white or a yellowish color. The eggs take approximately a week to hatch; depending on the temperature of the water. The young then float freely in the open waters. Marlins reach sexual maturity at two to four years of age.

(Blue Marlin Larvae)

A. 12.6 mm

B. 21.0 mm

C. 22.1 mm

Unique FactsFemales grow larger than males.

Females live 27 years while males can only live up to 18 years.

A multi-million dollar industry has evolved from this “rare event” species.

Marlin is served raw in Japan known as sashimi.

ConservationThe blue marlin is not a threatened species currently according to the World Conservation Union. But this fish has been under intense fishing pressure in recent years due to long-line fishing. The Cubans and Japanese harvest over a thousand tons of marlin each year from the Caribbean alone to eat and market off. These factors could easily lead this fish to become threatened.

Sourceshttp://www.learnanimals.com/atlantic-blue-marlin/

2006 “Atlantic Blue Marlin”http://www.zipcodezoo.com/animals/M/maikaira_nigricans/

2004-2009 “Makaira nigricans”

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/bluemarlin.html

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Makaira_nigricans.html

Tung, L. 2003. “Makaira nigricans” Animal Diversity Web. May 05, 2010.