Blue Marlin
| Class: Fishes: 4
classes |
Diet: Fish |
| Order:
Perciformes: Perch-like fishes |
| Size:
3 - 4.6 m (10 - 15 ft) |
| Family: No Fish family
information |
Conservation Status:
Vulnerable |
| Scientific Name: Makaira
nigricans |
Habitat: offshore
waters, open sea |
| Range:
Worldwide, tropical and warm temperate seas |
 An
extremely impressive fish, the blue marlin weighs at least 180 kg (400
lb) on average and can be more than twice as heavy. It has the elongate,
rounded snout common to all members of the family Istiophoridae, with which
it is thought to stun prey such as schooling fishes and squid. Blue
marlins are among the fastest of all fishes and have perfectly streamlined
bodies and the high, crescent-shaped tails characteristic of the high-speed
species. They make regular seasonal migrations, moving toward the equator
in winter and away again in summer.
  
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