Table of Contents
Overview
Brief Summary
Members of the Istiophoridae family are characterized by a bill that is rounded; a lateral line retained throughout life; elongate pelvic fins; scales present in the adult; jaws with teeth in the adult; a dorsal fin with a very long base that is sometimes sail-like and is depressible into a groove; 24 vertebrae; and a caudal peduncle in the adult with two keels on each side (Nelson 2006). The members of this family also share many characteristics with the swordfishes, including an elongate premaxillary bill (rostrum) in adults; dorsal fin origin over back of head; pectorals low on body; first dorsal fin lacking true spines, among other traits (see billfish).
Traditional classifications, such as Nelson (2006, 1994), recognize three genera in Istiophoridae: Istiophorus (sailfishes), Tetrapturus (spearfishes), and Makaira (marlins) (Nelson 2006; Agbayani 2008). These taxonomies also recognize the blue and black marlins to comprise the genus Makaira and the white and striped marlins as being part of the spearfish genus of Tetrapturus. However, Collette et al. (2006), utilizing genetic and morphological data, recommend that Istiophoridae be divided into five genera, and this recommendation is followed by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS 2008), which recognizes the following five genera: Istiompax (black marlin), Istiophorus (sailfish), Kajikia (white and striped marlins), Makaira (blue marlin, marlins), and Tetrapturus (spearfishes).
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Ecology
Associations
Known predators
Sterna
Pandion haliaetus
Butorides virescens
Chondrichthyes
Homo sapiens
Based on studies in:
USA: New York, Long Island (Marine)
unknown (epipelagic zone, Tropical)
USA, Northeastern US contintental shelf (Coastal)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
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SPIRE
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Known prey organisms
Crangon nigromaculata
Atherinidae
Actinopterygii
Cephalopoda
Thunninae
Alepisaurus
Ammodytes marinus
Clupea harengus
Alosa pseudoharengus
Scomber
Peprilus triacanthus
Tridonta arctica
Merluccius bilinearis
Urophycis regia
Urophycis tenuis
Urophycis chuss
Scombridae
Based on studies in:
USA: New York, Long Island (Marine)
unknown (epipelagic zone, Tropical)
USA, Northeastern US contintental shelf (Coastal)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
- G. M. Woodwell, Toxic substances and ecological cycles, Sci. Am. 216(3):24-31, from pp. 26-27 (March 1967).
- N. V. Parin, Ichthyofauna of the Epipelagic Zone (Israel Program for Scientific Translations, Jerusalem, 1970; U.S. Department of Commerce Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information, Springfield, VA 22151), from p. 154.
- Link J (2002) Does food web theory work for marine ecosystems? Mar Ecol Prog Ser 230:19
- Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed February 16, 2011 at http://animaldiversity.org. http://www.animaldiversity.org
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SPIRE
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Molecular Biology and Genetics
Barcode
Locations of barcode samples
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Statistics of barcoding coverage
| Specimen Records: | 416 |
| Specimens with Sequences: | 463 |
| Specimens with Barcodes: | 378 |
| Public Records: | 46 |
| Species: | 13 |
| Species With Barcodes: | 12 |
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Barcode data
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Wikipedia
Marlin
Marlin, family Istiophoridae, are fish with 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 6 metres (19.7 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 (16.4 ft) in length and 670 kilograms (1,500 lb) in weight. They are popular sporting fish in tropical areas. Many sporting fishers like to try their luck at catching a massive marlin.
Marlin are rarely table fare, appearing mostly in fine restaurants. Most modern sport fishermen release marlin after unhooking.
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.
Contents |
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 pfluegen—Longbill spearfish
Timeline of genera
In literature
In the Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway's 1952 novel The Old Man and the Sea, the central character of the work is an aged Cuban fisherman who, after 84 days without success on the water, heads out to sea in order to break his run of bad luck. On the 85th day, Santiago, the old fisherman, hooks a resolute marlin; what follows is a great struggle between man, sea creature, and the elements.
See also
References
Notes
- ^ 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.
- ^ thetravelalmanac.com/lists/fish-speed.htm
Sources
- Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2005). "Istiophoridae" in FishBase. November 2005 version.
- Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology 364: p.560. http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=611&rank=class. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
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Wikipedia
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