Biology Project 108

1. BLUE MARLIN
By Shon Wiles

2. TAXONOMICAL INFO
 Kingdom  Family
• Animalia • Istiophoridae
 Phylum  Genus
• Chordata • Makaira
 Class  Species
• Actinopterygii • Makaira nigricans
 Order
• Perciformes

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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

6. FEEDING
 Hunt during the daytime
• Alone
• Use of bill (slice/stun)
 Prey
• Octopi
• Squid
• Blackfin Tuna
• Frigate Mackeral

7. 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

8. THREATS
 Longline Fisheries  Parasites
• 73% incidental landings • Digenea (flukes)
 Swordfish Fisheries • Didymozoidea (tissue
fluke)
• By-catch
• Monogenea (gillworms)
 Big Game Recreational Fishing • Cestoda (tapeworms)
• Nematoda (roundworms)
 Predators
• Acantheocephia (spiny-
• Carcharodon carcharias head worms)
(white shark)
• Copepods
• Isurus oxyrhinchus (shortfin
mako) • Barnacles

9. 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

10. 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.