Image credit: Robert W. Hines, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
No catches posted here yet. Be the first to post a catch.
Fishing for Striped Marlin
The striped marlin is a species of marlin found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate Indo-Pacific oceans not far from the surface. It is a large commercial game fish with a record weight (at 1982) of 190 kg, and a maximum length of 420 cm.
The striped marlin's body is metallic blue-black above, and silvery below, with 15 to 20 narrow lavender vertical stripes. The upper jaw is extended to form a sword-like bill which makes up about 17% of the total length. The fins are dark blue-black. The front of the first dorsal fin is high, reducing rapidly to a much lower fin which continues almost to the second dorsal fin which is set well back. The long scythe-like pectoral fins can be folded back flat against the body, and the pelvic fins are each reduced to a single elongate ray. There are 2 strengthening keels on the caudal peduncle.
Striped marlins primarily feed on cephalopods and fish, especially tuna, which they stun and kill with side to side slashing movements of their bill.
