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Istiophoridae

(Family)

Overview

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Marlin, Istiophoridae, is a member of a larger grouping of marine known as "billfish", and is closley linked to the freshwater trout. They have an elongated body, a spear-like snout, and a long rigid dorsal fin, which extends forwards to form a crest. The common name is thought to derive from its notional resemblance to a sailor's marlinspike.1] Even more so than their close relatives the scombrids, marlin are known to be 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 have been reliably recorded in excess of 2 metres (6.6 ft) in length and 120 kilograms (260 lb) in weight, and the Black marlin, Makaira indica, which have been reliably recorded in excess of 5 metres (16 ft) in length and 670 kilograms (1,500 lb) in weight. They are popular sporting fish in certain tropical areas.

Marlin are rarely table fare, appearing mostly in fine dining 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 storied to have caught an 18-foot marlin in order to sell its meat at market.

Some marlin that are top record setting fish are taken and weighed on shore. Those records are most often recorded in the IGFA World Record Game Fish books.

Classification

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The marlins are perciform fish, most closely related to the swordfish and Scombridae.

Family Istiophoridae

Photos

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Taxonomy

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The Family Istiophoridae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Istiophorus

Sailfish are two species of fishes in the Istiophorus, living in warmer sections of all the oceans of the world. They are blue to gray in color and have a characteristic erectile dorsal fin known as a sail, which often stretches the entire length of the back. Another notable characteristic is the elongated bill, resembling that of the swordfish and other marlins. [more]

Lapidaplois

[more]

Makaira

Makaira ( via Greek: "sword") is a genus of marlins and spearfishes. It includes the black, Atlantic blue, and Indo-Pacific blue marlins. [more]

Novaculichthus

[more]

Tetrapturus

Tetrapturus is a of marlins and spearfishes found in tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the world. Some are popular in big-game fishing. [more]

At least 11 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Tetrapturus.

More info about the Genus Tetrapturus may be found here.

References

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  1. ^ Douglas Harper (November 2001). "marlin". Online Etymological Dictionary.
  2. ^ Johnson, G.D. & Gill, A.C. (1998). in Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.: Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press, 190-191. ISBN 0-12-547665-5. 
  3. ^ The world's fastest fish

Sources

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Last Revised: November 19, 2008