Blue Marlin

The blue marlin is a large, powerful billfish found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, prized among sport anglers as one of the ultimate big-game fish, with females, which grow considerably larger than males, capable of exceeding four metres in length and several hundred kilograms in weight. It has a cobalt-blue back fading to silvery white below, an elongated, spear-like upper jaw used to slash and stun schooling prey such as mackerel, tuna and squid before circling back to consume them, and a tall, pointed dorsal fin. Blue marlin are among the fastest fish in the ocean, capable of powerful bursts of speed, and they undertake long migrations across ocean basins, generally remaining solitary rather than traveling in schools. The species is a cornerstone of recreational big-game fishing tournaments in many coastal regions, most catches today released alive under catch-and-release practices, though the species remains vulnerable to commercial longline bycatch and is classified as vulnerable in parts of its range.