They progress to feeding on a wide range of fishes, particularly scombrids, such as mackerel and tuna, squid, and especially near oceanic islands and coral reefs, on juvenile inshore fish. Updated: March 28, 2019. They often release over seven million eggs at once, each about 1 mm (0.039 in) in diameter. They are popular sporting fish in tropical areas. Smaller than most billfish and displaying a more greenish hue than other marlin, their average weight is 60 pounds at adulthood, and all white marlin display black spots on their dorsal fins. [19] It is obvious in immature specimens but unclear in adults, becoming progressively embedded in the skin. Generally, boats that fish a full season may expect to average around 40 blue marlin captures. Additionally, the weight of these aquatic animal limits up to 1985 pounds on an average. The planktonic young drift freely in the ocean's pelagic zone. The maximum length for the white marlin is 110 in and maximum weight is approximately 180 lbs. Females, which are significantly larger than males, can reach 14 feet in length and weigh more than 1,985 pounds. In addition, it is in the suborder Xiphioidei and is a member of the subclass Neopterygii, which means "new wings". [26], Heavy metals have been known to accumulate in the Atlantic blue marlin, a process known as bioaccumulation. In the eastern Atlantic, blue marlin sport fisheries exist from the Algarve coast of Portugal in the north to Angola in the south and include the islands of the Azores, Canaries, Cape Verde, Madeira, and Ascension Island. Boats . The average blue weighs around 300 pounds, a monstrous fish by anyone’s standards. Females, which are significantly larger than males, can reach 14 feet in length and weigh more than 1,985 pounds. The International Game Fish Association all-tackle world record for blue marlin currently stands at 1,402 lb 2 oz (636 kg). The scientific name of this fish is Makaira nigricans. Some authorities still consider both species distinct. The biggest, caught 20 nautical miles off Sydney, weighed in at an impressive 374 kg. [16] The anus is just in front of the origin of the first anal fin. The elongated body of the blue marlin has a long tail, a prominent dorsal fin and a sharp, spear-shaped upper jaw. [13] On their sides and dorsal surfaces, they are blue-black in color, while ventrally they are white. With a maximum published length of 4.65 m (15.3 ft) and weight of 750 kg (1,650 lb), it is one of the largest marlins and also one of the largest bony fish. Blue marlin have been recorded to take prey as large as white marlin, as well as yellowfin and bigeye tuna in the 100-lb range. The bases of the first and second anal fins have a hint of silvery white. Blue marlin has elongated body, long tail, pronounced dorsal fin and sharp, spear-shaped upper jaw. [16] Its first anal fin, which is similar in shape and size to the second dorsal fin, has 13 to 16 rays,[16] and the second anal fin has six or seven rays. The blue marlin is under intense pressure from longline fishing. The most established sport fisheries for blue marlin are found along the eastern seaboard and the Gulf Coast of the United States, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and several other Caribbean islands (notably St Thomas and Puerto Rico). In 2011 several huge 350 kg Blue Marlin were caught. Weight: Up to 1600 lbs: FL Record: 1046 lbs – Panama City: HIGH CLASS HOOKER TAKE . The smaller males, grow much slower than females and do not generally exceed 400 lbs., which is the species’ average weight. Average sizes tend to be in the range of 11 feet and 200 to 400 pounds. Latest. [28], Sport fishermen have been at the forefront of efforts to conserve blue marlin populations. The sportfishing pursuit of marlin and other billfish has developed into a multimillion dollar industry that includes hundreds of companies and thousands of jobs for boat operators, boat builders, marinas, dealerships, and fishing tackle manufacturers and dealers. The blue marlin's latitudinal range extends from about 45°N to about 35°S. Striped Marlin: Avg. [13] Blue marlin meat is sometimes smoked and sold by roadside vendors. [13] They are also highly migratory, and will follow warm ocean currents for hundreds and even thousands of miles. Females may spawn as many as four times in one season. Larvae inhabit the west central Atlantic off the Southern United States, Jamaica, Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, and also the southwest Atlantic off Brazil. Marine Electronics. Although the average weight of this species is around 500 lb, we frequently encounter much larger specimens of 800 - 1,200 lb. (900 kg) However females can exceed 14 ft. The range expands into temperate waters of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres during the warmer months and contracts towards the Equator during colder months. The marlin ruler is the original Release Ruler. Blue Makaira for the third season running recorded the highest catch and release of Blue Marlin of all of the islands charter boats, going 42 for 86 on Blue Marlin, releasing 40 of which 34 were over 500 lbs with 15 of these over 700lbs and 7 being over 800lbs, with an average weight recorded of about 620lbs! A 2007 Japanese study of stomach contents of fish captured in a commercial trolling fishery found that 130 undigested prey items obtained from 227 blue marlin had spearing, slashing, and other injuries that were judged to have been inflicted by the bill. Blue marlin grow rapidly, and in the course of their lives they may increase their body weight by at least one million times. It is closely related to, and usually considered conspecific with, the Indo-Pacific blue marlin, then simply called blue marlin. Males live much shorter - only 18 years. The Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans) is the largest trophy billfish and one of the biggest fish in the world. This name is derived from the Greek word machaira, meaning "a short sword or bent dagger", and the Latin machaera, "sword". It is closely related to, and usually considered conspecific with, the Indo-Pacific blue marlin, then simply called blue marlin. The body is covered with thick, bony, elongated scales that have one, two, or three posterior points, with one being the most common form.[16]. The most blue marlin ever caught by one boat per season was 112 by Capt. This streamlines the fish and thereby reduces drag. Conversely, they are also capable of feeding on small but numerous prey such as filefish and snipefish. Categories: Fish, Uncategorized Tag: Marlin. Gear. They are so-called blue-water fish, spending most of their lives far out at sea. [5], Makaira nigricans is listed as a threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Biggest Marlin Ever Caught. Although not currently endangered, conservationists worry that they are being unsustainably fished, particularly in the Atlantic. The Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) is a species of marlin endemic to the Atlantic Ocean. Native to the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, blue marlins are among the most recognizable of all fish. Recaptures of tagged fish have shown multiple movements between the Caribbean Islands and Venezuela and the Bahamas, as well as between the Caribbean Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and West Africa, and interocean travel. It is also in the class of Actinopterygii, which includes ray-finned fishes and spiny-rayed fishes, and the superclass Osteichthyes, which includes all of the bony fishes. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/b/blue-marlin.html. Most notably, a blue marlin tagged off the coast of Delaware was recovered near the island of Mauritius off the southeast coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean – a voyage of 9,254 miles. The data was provided by the tournaments for each tournament going back five years. An overview of All-Tackle IGFA world record marlin. On average, blue marlin usually reaches 11 feet in length and between 200 and 400 pounds in weight. Squid and deep-sea fishes such as pomfret and snake mackerel are also important prey items in certain areas. Genetic data suggest, although the two groups are isolated from each other, they are both the same species, with the only genetic exchange occurring when Indo-Pacific blue marlin migrate to and contribute genes to the Atlantic population. Both Zane Grey and Ernest Hemingway, who fished for blue marlin off the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and most famously in Cuba, wrote extensively about their pursuit. The marlin has two dorsal fins and two anal fins. Average weight 350 pounds. Its first dorsal fin has 39 to 43 rays from front to back. Males reach sexual maturity at a weight of 35–44 kg (77–97 lb) and females at 47–61 kg (104–134 lb). Blue marlin, like other billfish, can rapidly change color, an effect created by pigment-containing iridophores and light-reflecting skin cells.[17]. 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