Scientific Name
Makaira indica

Common Name
Black marlin

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 39-50; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 16 - 21. Body elongate and not very compressed; upper jaw produced into a robust but not very long beak; two dorsal fins, the height of the first less then the greatest body depth, becoming shorter posteriorly; pectoral fins falcate and rigid, with 19 to 20 rays; body densely covered with small, embedded scales with 1 or 2 sharp points; back dark blue; belly silvery white; membrane of first dorsal fin blue black, without spots; flanks without spots (Ref. 55763). Dark blue above, silvery white below; sometimes with light blue vertical stripes; 1st dorsal fin blackish to dark blue, other fins dark brown with tinges of dark blue in some specimens.

Classification

Classified By

Cuvier, 1832

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Billfishes (Istiophoridae)

Distribution

Region

Indo-Pacific

Distribution

Indo-Pacific: tropical and subtropical waters, occasionally entering temperate waters. Stray individuals migrate into the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Cape of Good Hope, but the existence of Atlantic breeding stocks is unlikely. Highly migratory species, Annex I of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea (Ref. 26139).

Range

44°N - 47°S, 18°E - 69°W

Environment

Climate

Subtropical

Water Temperature From

15 °C

Water Temperature To

30 °C

Depth From - meters

0 m

Depth To - meters

915 m

Zone

pelagic-oceanic

Environment

Marine; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 915 m (Ref. 43), usually 0 - 200 m (Ref. 43)

Trophic Level

4.5 s.e. 0.79 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

465 cm

Common Length

380 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.6255 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

Vulnerability

Moderate vulnerability (44 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.47(?); Fec=67 million; assuming tm>2)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated