Blue Marlins, Makaira nigricans Taxonomy Animalia Chordata
Actinopterygii Perciformes Istiophoridae Makaira nigricans
Description & Behavior Largest of the Atlantic marlins, blue
marlins, Makaira nigricans (Lacepéde, 1802), aka Atlantic blue
marlins, billfishes, Cuban black marlins, marlins, ocean gars,
ocean guards, and squadrons, commonly reach 2.9 m with a maximum
of 5 m and maximum weights between 636 - 820 kg (or 540 - 1,800
kg depending upon the source). Males, however, grow much more
slowly than females and do not generally exceed 136 kg; all
trophy fish are females. The blue marlin's body is cobalt blue
on top, with a silvery white belly, and their upper jaw is
famously elongated like a spear. Their tails are high and
crescent-shaped and their dorsal fins are pointed at the front
end. Their body is covered in embedded scales which end in one
or two sharp points. Their lateral line is reticulated, or
interwoven like a net, but this characteristic is difficult to
see in large specimens. Maturity is reac