Marlin

Marlin
Striped marlin, Tetrapturus audax
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Istiophoridae
Genera
Makaira Tetrapturus (partial)

Marlin is the common name for several, large marine billfish in the family Istiophoridae of the bony fish order Perciformes. As with the other members of the family, known as sailfishes and spearfishes, the marlins are characterized by a rounded bill, elongate pelvic fins, a dorsal fin with a very long base, depressible into groove, and adults with scales and with teeth.

Traditionally, those fish known as marlins have been placed into two genera, the blue and black marlins comprising the genus Makaira and the white and striped marlins in the genus Tetraputurs (with the spearfishes). However, different taxonomic schemes are recognized, with a recent classification placing the black marlin (M. indica) in its own genus Istiompax (as Istiompax indica), and the white and striped martins moved to their own genus, Kajikia. In addition, the blue marlin is variously recognized as one species (Makaira nigricans) or divided into two species' (Indo-Pacific blue marlin, M. mazara, and Atlantic blue marlin, M. nigricans).

Marlin are rarely table fare, appearing mostly in fine dining restaurants. Most modern sport fishermen release marlin after unhooking. However, the old fisherman in Ernest Hemingway's novella The Old Man and the Sea was storied to have caught an 18-foot marlin in order to sell its meat at market.

Some large marlin, which may be able to set a record, are taken and weighed on shore. These records are most often recorded in the IGFA World Record Game Fish books.

Overview and description

The Istiophoridae family, to which the marlins, sailfishes, and spearfishes belong, are a family of bony fish in the Perciformes order. Nelson (2006) places this family in the Scombroidei suborder, but Collette et al. (2006) places this family into the Xiphiodei suborder together with the similar swordfishes comprising family Xiphiidae. Members of the Istiophoridae family are characterized by a bill that is rounded; a lateral line retained throughout life; elongate pelvic fins; scales present in the adult; jaws with teeth in the adult; a dorsal fin with a very long base that is sometimes sail-like and is depressible into a groove; 24 vertebrae; and a caudal peduncle in the adult with two keels on each side (Nelson 2006). The members of this family also share many characteristics with the swordfishes, including an elongate premaxillary bill (rostrum) in adults; dorsal fin origin over back of head; pectorals low on body; first dorsal fin lacking true spines, among other traits (see billfish).

Traditional classifications, such as Nelson (2006, 1994), recognize three genera in Istiophoridae: Istiophorus (sailfishes), Tetrapturus (spearfishes), and Makaira (marlins) (Nelson 2006; Agbayani 2008). These taxonomies also recognize the blue and black marlins to comprise the genus Makaira and the white and striped marlins as being part of the spearfish genus of Tetrapturus. However, Collette et al. (2006), utilizing genetic and morphological data, recommend that Istiophoridae be divided into five genera, and this recommendation is followed by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS 2008), which recognizes the following five genera: Istiompax (black marlin), Istiophorus (sailfish), Kajikia (white and striped marlins), Makaira (blue marlin, marlins), and Tetrapturus (spearfishes).

Blue and black marlins. The traditional genus Makaira, called the "marlins" by Nelson (2006; 1994), is characterized by species where the forward portion of the first dorsal fin is not as high as the body is deep. Commonly, this genus includes three species, the black marlin (M. indica), the Indo-Pacific blue marlin (M. mazara), and the Atlantic blue marlin (M. nigricans). Nelson (2006) follows Nakamura (1983) in recognizing two species of blue marlin, based on the pattern of the lateral line, with the lateral line of the Atlantic blue marlin having a reticulate pattern, and the lateral line of the Indo-Pacific blue marlin having only simple loops.

However, Collette et al. (2006) finds no molecular evidence to differentiate two species of blue marlin. Thus, some recent taxonomies only recognize one species of the blue marlin, Makaira nigricans (ITIS 2008; Collette et al. 2006). Furthermore, these taxonomies place the black marlin in a separate genus, Istiomplax as I. indica.

Striped and white marlins. In the traditional classification of Nelson (1994; 2006), the striped and white marlins are part of the genus Tetrapturus, along with four species of spearfishes. The Atlantic white marlin is T. albidus and the striped marlin is T. audax. However, Collette et al. (2006)

ITIS:

• • Tetrapturus albidus - Atlantic White Marlin
  • Tetrapturus angustirostris - Shortbill Spearfish
  • Tetrapturus audax - Striped Marlin

Nelson (2006) also recognizes the white and ... marlins in genus...... Collette recommends This is followed by ITIS 2008

Marlin, Istiophoridae, is a member of a group of marine fish known as "billfish", and is closely linked to the freshwater trout. A marlin has an elongated body, a spear-like snout, and a long rigid dorsal fin, which extends forwards to form a crest. Its common name is thought to derive from its notional resemblance to a sailor's marlinspike. Even more so than their close relatives the scombrids, marlin are known to be incredibly fast swimmers, reaching speeds of about 110 kilometers per hour (68 mph).

The larger species include the Atlantic blue marlin, Makaira nigricans, which have been reliably recorded in excess of 2 meters (6.6 ft) in length and 120 kilograms (260 lb) in weight, and the Black marlin, Makaira indica, which have been reliably recorded in excess of 5 meters (16 ft) in length and 670 kilograms (1,500 lb) in weight. They are popular sporting fish in certain tropical areas.

Classification

Traditional classification (Nelson 1994; Nelson 2006)

Classificaiton following Collette et al. (2006) and ITIS (2008)

Kajikia albida (Poey, 1860) — white marlin

	                                    Species	Kajikia audax (Philippi, 1887) — striped marlin

 although some recent taxonomies place the black marlin in genus Istiompax. The white and striped marlins are place dwith the spearfishes in the genus Tetrapturus or in their own genus Kajikia albida (Poey, 1860) — white marlin	 
	                                    Species	Kajikia audax (Philippi, 1887) — striped marlin.

two or three species depending whether th eblue marlin is recognized as one or two species

Istiompax Whitley, 1931 — black marlin

	                                 Genus	Istiophorus Lacepède, 1801 — sailfish	 
	                                 Genus	Kajikia Hirasaka and Nakamura, 1947 	 
	                                 Genus	Makaira Lacepède, 1802 — blue marlin, marlins	 
	                                 Genus	Tetrapturus Rafinesque, 1810 — spearfishes

The marlins are perciform fish, most closely related to the swordfish and Scombridae.

Family Istiophoridae

• Genus Istiophorus
  • Istiophorus albicans - Atlantic Sailfish
  • Istiophorus platypterus - Indo-Pacific Sailfish
• Genus Makaira
  • Makaira indica - Black Marlin
  • Makaira mazara - Indo-Pacific Blue Marlin
  • Makaira nigricans - Atlantic Blue Marlin
• Genus Tetrapturus
  • Tetrapturus albidus - Atlantic White Marlin
  • Tetrapturus angustirostris - Shortbill Spearfish
  • Tetrapturus audax - Striped Marlin
  • Tetrapturus belone - Mediterranean Spearfish
  • Tetrapturus georgii - Roundscale Spearfish
  • Tetrapturus pfluegeri - Longbill Spearfish

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• "Istiophoridae". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. November 2005 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2005.

• Block, B. A., J. R. Finnerty, A. F. R. Stewart, and J. Kidd. 1993. Evolution of endothermy in fish: Mapping physiological traits on a molecular phylogeny. Science 260: 210-214.

• Collette, B. B., J. R. McDowell, and J. E. Graves. 2006. Phylogeny of recent billfishes (Xiphioidei). Bulletin of Marine Science 79(3): 455-468. Retrieved December 27, 2008.

• Hebrank, J. H., M. R. Hebrank, J. H. Long, B. A. Block, and S. A. Wainwright. 1990. [http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/148/1/449.pdf Backbone mechanics of the blue marlin Makaira nigricans (Pisces, Istiophoridae). J. Exp. Biol 148: 449-459. Retrieved December 27, 2008.

• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). 2008. Istiophoridae ITIS Taxonomic Serial No.: 172486. Retrieved December 27, 2008.

• Nakamura, I. 1983. Systematics of the billfishes (Xiphiidae and Istiophoridae). Publ. Seto Mar Biol Lab 28: 255-396.

• Nelson, J. S. 2006. Fishes of the World, 4th edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0471250317.

• Nelson, J. S. 1994. Fishes of the World, 3rd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0471547131.

• Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, and J. D. Williams. 2004. Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, 6th edition. Bethesda, MA: American Fisheries Society Special Publication 29.

External links

• News article: Marlin spears fisherman as it leaps across boat
• 'Ghost Fish' Revelation May Alter Marlin's Status from National Public Radio

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