Atlantic blue marlin

Uncommon card · No. 163406

The Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) is a species of marlin endemic to the Atlantic Ocean. It is closely related to, and usually considered conspecific with, the Indo-Pacific blue marlin, then simply called blue marlin. Some authorities consider both species distinct. Blue marlin are distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a bluewater fish that spends the majority of its life in the open sea far from land. The blue marlin preys on a wide variety of marine organisms, mostly near the surface, often using its bill to stun or injure its prey then returning to eat the injured or stunned fish. Females can grow up to four times the weight of males. The maximum published weight is 818 kg (1,803 lb) and length 5 m (16.4 ft). Greater lengths have been claimed unofficially. Estimates of the maximum swimming speed of the blue marlin commonly go as high as 72 km/h, though the casual swimming speed at which it moves most of the time is under 4.5...

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