Download - Blue Marlin
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BLUE MARLIN
By Shon Wiles
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Kingdom• Animalia
Phylum• Chordata
Class• Actinopterygii
Order• Perciformes
TAXONOMICAL INFO
Family• Istiophoridae
Genus• Makaira
Species• Makaira nigricans
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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.
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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
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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
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FEEDING
Hunt during the daytime• Alone• Use of bill (slice/stun)
Prey• Octopi• Squid• Blackfin Tuna• Frigate Mackeral
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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
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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
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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
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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.