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Animal profile

Atlantic Blue Marlin

Makaira nigricans

ActinopterygiiWarm open ocean, mostly in the upper mixed layer above the thermoclineVulnerable

Field profile

The Atlantic blue marlin is a large billfish with a rounded bill and a high pointed first dorsal fin. Females grow far larger than males, exceeding four metres and several hundred kilograms. It is a long-distance migrant that crosses ocean basins.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-03-14

Atlantic Blue Marlin

Only female blue marlin reach record sizes

Male Atlantic blue marlin rarely exceed about 160 kilograms, while females can pass 500. Every marlin of trophy size is female, a fact with direct consequences for how the species is fished.

Read with evidence →

Atlantic Blue Marlin | Daily Animal Facts