Marlin
Encyclopedia
Marlin, family Istiophoridae, are fish with an elongated body, a spear
-like snout
or bill, and a long rigid dorsal fin
, which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name
is thought to derive from its resemblance to a sailor's marlinspike
. Even more so than their close relatives the scombrids, marlin are incredibly fast swimmers, reaching speeds of about 110 kilometres per hour (68.4 mph).
The larger species include the Atlantic blue marlin
, Makaira nigricans, which can reach 5.968 metres (19.6 ft) in length and 818 kilograms (1,803.4 lb) in weight, and the Black marlin
, Makaira indica, which can reach in excess of 5 metres (16.4 ft) in length and 670 kilograms (1,477.1 lb) in weight. They are popular sporting fish in tropical areas. Many sporting fishers like to try their luck at catching a massive marlin.
Marlin are rarely table fare, appearing mostly in fine restaurants. Most modern sport fishermen release marlin after unhooking.
Very large marlin, which may set a record, are taken and weighed on shore. Records are most often recorded in the IGFA
World Record Game Fish books. The current record has stood for some 20 years.
fish, most closely related to the swordfish
and Scombridae
.
Family Istiophoridae
, white marlin
, atlantic blue marlin
, black marlin
, and Makaira
(Indo-pacific blue marlin) to its seafood red list. "The Greenpeace International seafood red list is a list of fish that are commonly sold in supermarkets around the world, and which have a very high risk of being sourced from unsustainable fisheries."
–winning author Ernest Hemingway's 1952 novel The Old Man and the Sea
, the central character of the work is an aged Cuban fisherman who, after 84 days without success on the water, heads out to sea in order to break his run of bad luck. On the 85th day, Santiago—the old fisherman—hooks a resolute marlin; what follows is a great struggle between man, sea creature, and the elements.
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
-like snout
Snout
The snout, or muzzle, is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw.-Terminology:The term "muzzle", used as a noun, can be ambiguous...
or bill, and a long rigid dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
, which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
is thought to derive from its resemblance to a sailor's marlinspike
Marlinspike
Marlinspike is a tool used in ropework for tasks such as unlaying rope for splicing, untying knots, forming a toggle , or forming a makeshift handle....
. Even more so than their close relatives the scombrids, marlin are incredibly fast swimmers, reaching speeds of about 110 kilometres per hour (68.4 mph).
The larger species include the Atlantic blue marlin
Atlantic blue marlin
The Atlantic blue marlin is a species of marlin endemic to the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic blue marlin feeds on a wide variety of organisms near the surface. By using its bill, it can stun, injure, or kill while knifing through a school of prey and then return later at its leisure to eat...
, Makaira nigricans, which can reach 5.968 metres (19.6 ft) in length and 818 kilograms (1,803.4 lb) in weight, and the Black marlin
Black marlin
The black marlin is a species of marlin found in tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific oceans not far from the surface. It is a large commercial game fish with a maximum published weight of , but greater weights than this have been recorded. It is one of the largest marlins and bony fish...
, Makaira indica, which can reach in excess of 5 metres (16.4 ft) in length and 670 kilograms (1,477.1 lb) in weight. They are popular sporting fish in tropical areas. Many sporting fishers like to try their luck at catching a massive marlin.
Marlin are rarely table fare, appearing mostly in fine restaurants. Most modern sport fishermen release marlin after unhooking.
Very large marlin, which may set a record, are taken and weighed on shore. Records are most often recorded in the IGFA
International Game Fish Association
The International Game Fish Association is the leading authority on angling pursuits and the keeper of the most current World Record fishing catches by fish categories. Fishermen who are sport fishers are careful to follow their stringent rules for fair play and line requirements in order to...
World Record Game Fish books. The current record has stood for some 20 years.
Classification
The marlins are perciformPerciformes
The Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, is one of the largest orders of vertebrates, containing about 40% of all bony fish. Perciformes means perch-like. They belong to the class of ray-finned fish and comprise over 7,000 species found in almost all aquatic environments...
fish, most closely related to the swordfish
Swordfish
Swordfish , also known as broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory, predatory fish characterized by a long, flat bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood...
and Scombridae
Scombridae
Scombridae is the family of the mackerels, tunas, and bonitos, and thus includes many of the most important and familiar food fishes. The family consists of about 55 species in 15 genera and two subfamilies...
.
Family Istiophoridae
- Genus Istiophorus
- Istiophorus albicans—Atlantic sailfish
- Istiophorus platypterus—Indo-Pacific sailfish
- Genus MakairaMakairaMakaira is a genus of marlins and spearfishes. It includes the black, Atlantic blue, and Indo-Pacific blue marlins.- Sustainable consumption :...
- Makaira indica—Black marlin
- Makaira mazara—Indo-Pacific blue marlin
- Makaira nigricans—Atlantic blue marlin
- Genus TetrapturusTetrapturusTetrapturus is a genus of marlins and spearfishes found in tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the world. Some are popular in big-game fishing.-Species:* Atlantic white marlin ....
- Tetrapturus albidus—Atlantic white marlin
- Tetrapturus angustirostris—Shortbill spearfish
- Tetrapturus audax—Striped marlin
- Tetrapturus belone—Mediterranean spearfish
- Tetrapturus georgii—Roundscale spearfish
- Tetrapturus pfluegen—Longbill spearfish
Sustainable consumption
In 2010, Greenpeace International has added the striped marlinStriped marlin
The striped marlin, Tetrapturus audax, is a species of marlin found in tropical to temperate Indo-Pacific oceans not far from the surface. It is a large commercial game fish with a record weight of 190 kg, and a maximum length of 420 cm. The striped marlin is a predator that hunts during the day...
, white marlin
White marlin
White Marlin are large, elongated fish with a large upper jaw that forms a spear which is round in cross-section. They are dark blue to chocolate-brown in color...
, atlantic blue marlin
Atlantic blue marlin
The Atlantic blue marlin is a species of marlin endemic to the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic blue marlin feeds on a wide variety of organisms near the surface. By using its bill, it can stun, injure, or kill while knifing through a school of prey and then return later at its leisure to eat...
, black marlin
Black marlin
The black marlin is a species of marlin found in tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific oceans not far from the surface. It is a large commercial game fish with a maximum published weight of , but greater weights than this have been recorded. It is one of the largest marlins and bony fish...
, and Makaira
Makaira
Makaira is a genus of marlins and spearfishes. It includes the black, Atlantic blue, and Indo-Pacific blue marlins.- Sustainable consumption :...
(Indo-pacific blue marlin) to its seafood red list. "The Greenpeace International seafood red list is a list of fish that are commonly sold in supermarkets around the world, and which have a very high risk of being sourced from unsustainable fisheries."
In literature
In the Nobel PrizeNobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
–winning author Ernest Hemingway's 1952 novel The Old Man and the Sea
The Old Man and the Sea
The Old Man and the Sea is a novel written by American author Ernest Hemingway in 1951 in Cuba, and published in 1952. It was the last major work of fiction to be produced by Hemingway and published in his lifetime. One of his most famous works, it centers upon Santiago, an aging fisherman who...
, the central character of the work is an aged Cuban fisherman who, after 84 days without success on the water, heads out to sea in order to break his run of bad luck. On the 85th day, Santiago—the old fisherman—hooks a resolute marlin; what follows is a great struggle between man, sea creature, and the elements.
External links
- "Marlin spears fisherman as it leaps across boat", The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
of London - "'Ghost Fish' Revelation May Alter Marlin's Status" from National Public Radio
- Marlin Fishing Charters