Large predator fish whose Stock levels are too inconsistent or low to be classified as sustainable.
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| Marlin | |
|---|---|
| Striped marlin, Tetrapturus audax | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Istiophoridae |
| Genera | |
Marlin, Istiophoridae, is a "billfish." Marlin, also known as Blue-spotted tuna, has an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long rigid dorsal fin, which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name is thought to derive from its resemblance to a sailor's marlinspike.[1] Even more so than their close relatives the scombrids, marlin are incredibly fast swimmers, reaching speeds of about 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph).[2][3]
The larger species include the Atlantic blue marlin, Makaira nigricans, which can reach 5.968 metres (19.58 ft) in length and 818 kilograms (1,800 lb) in weight, and the Black marlin, Makaira indica, which can reach in excess of 5 metres (16 ft) in length and 670 kilograms (1,500 lb) in weight. They are popular sporting fish in tropical areas.
Marlin are rarely table fare, appearing mostly in fine 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 described as having caught an 18-foot (5.5 m) marlin to sell its meat.
Very large marlin, which may set a record, are taken and weighed on shore. Records are most often recorded in the IGFA World Record Game Fish books. The current record has stood for some 20 years however; in 1999 a young man named Jason Ott caught a Marlin which was a 1/4 pound shy of the world record. Ott caught the marlin while on a deep sea fishing expedition with Manny Puig of Jackass
Classification
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
Sustainable consumption
In 2010, Greenpeace International has added the striped marlin, white marlin, atlantic blue marlin, black marlin, and Makara (Indo-pacific blue marlin) to its seafood red list. "The Greenpeace International seafood red list is a list of fish that are commonly sold in supermarkets around the world, and which have a very high risk of being sourced from unsustainable fisheries."[4]
See also
References
- ^ Douglas Harper (November 2001). "marlin". Online Etymological Dictionary. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=marlin.
- ^ Johnson, G.D. & Gill, A.C. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 190–191. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Greenpeace International Seafood Red list
- Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2005). "Istiophoridae" in FishBase. November 2005 version.
External links
- News article: Marlin spears fisherman as it leaps across boat
- 'Ghost Fish' Revelation May Alter Marlin's Status from National Public Radio
- Marlin Fishing Charters
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