Marlin - Black
name: Marlin - Black
other names: Pacific black marlin, Giant black marlin, White marlin (Japan)
Color dark blue to black on back, vertical bars occasionally present, may not be obvious after death, belly silvery white, first dorsal fin low and rounded, less that 1/2 of body depth, second dorsal fin begins in front of second anal fin, pectoral fin is rigid in adults, more flexible in juveniles but will not lay flat against body without the joints breaking (only marlin with this characteristic), pelvic fin is short.
The Black Marlin is most commonly seen in tropical and subtropical waters throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Individuals are occasionally found in the Atlantic Ocean. These are presumed to have migrated around the Cape of Good Hope. They are a highly migratory, pelagic species that will rarely swim deeper than 100 feet. They are most commonly found in deep waters, near such prominent bottom structures as continental shelves and reefs.
Large black marlin are very strong and exceptionally fast they are known to feed on squid, scad, mackerel tuna, frigate mackerel, and tuna.
Females are larger than the males, males rarely exceed 300 pounds, females can weigh up to 1000lb.The black marlin's highly migratory nature make it difficult for scientists to know how long a member of this species can live.
The black's immense strength and exceptional size makes it a favored target among big-game anglers. A fight with one of these fish can last for hours, wearing severely on the angler as well as the tackle. Methods most commonly used are Anglers trolling brightly colored lures or rigged bait fish. Other popular techniques include heavy-tackle fly fishing. As anyone who has every caught a Black on conventional tackle, tackling and landing these fish is a mission. Most sport fisherman now tag and release their catches as we need to help maintain these wonderful fish for the future.
