blue marlin
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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.
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