The black marlin (''Istiompax indica'') is a species of
marlin
Marlins are fish from the family Istiophoridae, which includes about 10 species. A marlin has 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 deri ...
found in tropical and subtropical areas of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
With a maximum published length of and weight of ,
[ it is one of the largest marlins and also one of the largest ]bony fish
Osteichthyes (), popularly referred to as the bony fish, is a diverse superclass of fish that have skeletons primarily composed of bone tissue. They can be contrasted with the Chondrichthyes, which have skeletons primarily composed of cartilag ...
. Marlin are among the fastest fish, but speeds are often wildly exaggerated in popular media, such as reports of . Recent research suggests a burst speed of is near the maximum rate. Black marlin are fished commercially and are also a highly prized game fish
Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish pursued by recreational anglers, and can be freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, or released after capture. Some game fish are also targeted commerciall ...
. Black marlins have been known to drag Maldivian fishing boats of the ancient times for very long distances until it got tired; and then it would then take many hours for the fishermen to row or sail back home.
Taxonomy
French naturalist Georges Cuvier
Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, Baron Cuvier (; 23 August 1769 – 13 May 1832), known as Georges Cuvier, was a French natural history, naturalist and zoology, zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuvier ...
described the black marlin in 1832 as ''Tetrapturus indicus''.
Description
Compared to striped or white marlins and sailfish, black marlins are more solid than their blue counterparts. They have a shorter bill and a rounder and lower dorsal fin. Black marlin may be distinguished from all other marlin species by their rigid pectoral fins, which, especially from a weight of around , are unable to be pressed flat against their sides but can be tilted further backwards for reduced drag.
Distribution
The species occurs in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific, with uncommon movements into temperate waters, and rare reports from the Atlantic.[
]
Diet
Diet mostly consists of various fish and cephalopod
A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan class Cephalopoda (Greek plural , ; "head-feet") such as a squid, octopus, cuttlefish, or nautilus. These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head ...
s. They may eat tuna, mackerel, snake mackerel, flying fish, squid, crustaceans, octopus, etc.[
]
See also
* Billfish in the Indian Ocean
Of the twelve species of billfish, there are six species of Billfish in the Indian Ocean.
Background
The term billfish refers to the large fishes of the family Istiophoridae, comprising marlin and sailfish, and of the family Xiphiidae, comprisin ...
References
*Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, ''Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand'', (William Collins Publishers Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand 1982)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q998315
Fish described in 1832
Fish of Hawaii
Fish of Pakistan
Istiophoridae
Sport fish
Taxa named by Georges Cuvier