Blue Marlin

(Makaira nigricans)

The Blue marlin has a long bill and a long trailing dorsal fin. They exceed 3m in length, sometimes reaching 4m. Males rarely exceed about 136kg, but females grow much larger, nearly doubling the weight of the males.

There is still some disagreement among biologists as to whether there are four kinds of Blue Marlin in the world's oceans, or only one. South and North Atlantic populations have been thought of as separate species in the past, but today they seem to agree that all Atlantic and Pacific populations are one species.

The Blue Marlin wanders from Maine through the Gulf of Mexico and into the Caribbean, and the South Atlantic Ocean. They are closely tied to warm waters and follow the seasons and major ocean currents when migrating. Though they may be found on the high seas thousands of miles from the continents, they also approach within a few miles of coastal regions with nearby deep water.