Details
Makaira nigricans
The Atlantic blue marlin is a large predatory fish of the open Atlantic. Cathemeral fish range widely and loosely through offshore waters.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It uses warm open Atlantic waters, fronts, and deep surface to midwater zones. Movements follow conditions that concentrate prey fish.
Length is about 200-500 cm and weight about 100-820 kg. An elongated upper jaw, high first dorsal fin, blue back, and silvery belly are distinctive.
Activity is flexible, and individuals usually travel alone or loosely near others. They swim fast and turn sharply around prey schools.
It is carnivorous, catching fish and squid. The long bill can slash or scatter prey before weakened animals are swallowed.
Spawning occurs in warm offshore waters, with eggs and larvae drifting in currents. Young later shift into a wide-ranging pelagic life.
Its status is listed as Least Concern. As a large oceanic fish, it remains sensitive to fishing pressure and changes in marine productivity.
