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Makaira nigricans Lacepède, 1802

Blue marlin
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Makaira nigricans   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Makaira nigricans (Blue marlin)
Makaira nigricans
Female picture by Baumeier, E.


South Africa country information

Common names: Blou marlyn, Blue marlin
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Occurs off the west coast (Ref. 43).
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Heemstra, P.C., 1986
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Classification / Names Populärnamn | synonymer | Catalog of Fishes(Släkte, Arter) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

> Carangiformes (Jacks) > Istiophoridae (Billfishes)
Etymology: Makaira: Greek,makaira, -as = happy, rich (Ref. 45335).
  More on author: Lacepède.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ekologi

marina; havsvandrande (Ref. 51243); djupintervall 0 - 1000 m (Ref. 43).   Subtropical; 22°C - 31°C (Ref. 43); 50°N - 45°S, 180°W - 180°E (Ref. 43)

Utbredning Länder | FAO områden | Ekosystem | Förekomster | Point map | Utplanteringar | Faunafri

Atlantic Ocean: in tropical and temperate waters. We follow Nakamura 1985 (Ref. 43) in recognizing Makaira mazara and Makaira nigricans as two distinct species chiefly because of differences in the pattern of the lateral line system. Many scientists, however, do not recognize this character as specifically diagnostic and consider the latter species as a single pantropical species occurring in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. Highly migratory species.

Length at first maturity / Size / Vikt / Age

Maturity: Lm ?, range 50 - ? cm
Max length : 500 cm TL hane/ej könsbestämd; (Ref. 11441); 500.0 cm TL (female); common length : 290 cm TL hane/ej könsbestämd; (Ref. 6659); publicerad maxvikt: 636.0 kg (Ref. 40637); publicerad maxvikt: 636.0 kg

Short description Bestämningsnycklar | Morfologi | Morfometri

Taggstrålar i ryggfenan (totalt) : 0; Mjukstrålar i ryggfenan (totalt) : 45 - 50; Taggstrålar i analfenan: 0; Mjukstrålar i analfenan: 19 - 23. Body blue-black above and silvery white below, with about 15 rows of pale cobalt-colored stripes; 1st dorsal fin plain blackish or dark blue, other fins brown black with a tinge of dark blue in some specimens; anal fin bases with a tinge of silvery white. Lateral line a network of interconnecting canals (Ref. 26938).

Biologi     Ordlista (t.ex. epibenthic)

An oceanic species. Water color affects its occurrence, at least in the northern Gulf of Mexico, where the fish show preference for blue water. Rarely gathers in schools and usually found as scattered single individuals. Feeds mainly on fishes but also preys on octopods and squids. Marketed fresh or frozen (Ref. 43). Feeding takes place during daytime. Maturity reached at about 80 cm in males and 50 cm in females (Ref. 36731). Females grow larger (Ref. 4770). Recent study indicates maximum age close to 20 years using a series of deductions in the ¹⁴C dating method (Ref. 120707).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduktion | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larver

Subripe ova are opaque, white to yellow, and 0.3 to 0.5 mm in diameter. Transparent spherical eggs flowing out of a ripe ovary measured 1 mm in diameter.

Main reference Upload your references | referenser | Koordinator | Medarbetare

Nakamura, I., 1985. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 5. Billfishes of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of marlins, sailfishes, spearfishes and swordfishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(5):65p. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 43)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Sårbar, se IUCNs rödlista (VU) (A2bd); Date assessed: 10 May 2021

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless




Human uses

Fiskeri: kommersiell; sportfisk: ja
FAO(fiskeri: produktion; publication : search) | FIRMS (Stock assessments) | FishSource | Sea Around Us

Ytterligare information

Trophic ecology
Födoslag
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predatorer
Ecology
Ekologi
Home ranges
Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Life cycle
Reproduktion
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larver
Larvdynamik
Anatomy
Gill areas
Hjärnstorlek
Otoliths
Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fiskljud
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetik
Electrophoreses
Heritabilities
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Vattenbruksprofiler
Avelslinjer
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
Medarbetare
References
referenser

Verktyg

Special reports

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 11.5 - 27.3, mean 22.4 (based on 477 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.7505   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00427 (0.00256 - 0.00710), b=3.11 (2.96 - 3.26), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).
Trofisk nivå (Ref. 69278):  4.5   ±0.3 se; based on diet studies.
Resiliens (Ref. 120179):  Mellan, lägsta populationsfördubblingstid 1,4-4,4 år (K=0.1-0.3).
Prior r = 0.44, 95% CL = 0.29 - 0.66, Based on 6 full stock assessments.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate to high vulnerability (52 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649):  Moderate to high vulnerability (50 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   High.