Atlantic blue marlin

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 still consider both species distinct.
The Atlantic blue marlin (hereafter, blue marlin) feeds on a wide variety of organisms near the surface. It uses its bill to stun, injure, or kill while knifing through a school of fish or other prey, then returns to eat the injured or stunned fish. Marlin is a popular game fish. The relatively high fat content of its meat makes it commercially valuable in certain markets. It is the national fish of the Commonwealth of the Bahamasand is featured on its coat of arms.
Blue marlin are distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. A bluewater fish that spends the majority of its life in the open sea far from land,[2] 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.
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).[3]
Adult blue marlin have few predators apart from killer whales, sharks, and humans. They are sought after as a highly prized game fish by anglers and are taken by commercial fishermen, both as a directed catch and as bycatch in major industrial tuna fisheries. Blue marlin are currently considered a threatened species by the IUCN due to overfishing.[1]
Some other historic English names for the blue marlin are Cuban black marlin, ocean gar, and ocean guard.[4]
Category:Animals
Category:Creatures
Category:Fish
Category:IUCN Red List vulnerable species
Category:Makaira
Category:Sport fish
Category:Marine edible fish
Category:Fish described in 1802
Category:Seafood red list
Category:Fish of the Atlantic Ocean
Category:Fish of Cuba