The 'marlin' is a large game
fish. It has an elongated body that in larger species can be in excess of 4
metres (13
ft) long, a
snout like a
spear, and a long rigid
dorsal fin which extends forwards to form a crest. Marlin are fast swimmers, occurring in all seas (except, of course, the
Dead Sea) and hunting small and large fish.
The larger species include the
Atlantic blue marlin, ''Makaira nigricans'', which have been reliably recorded in excess of 2 metres (7 ft) in length and 120
kilograms (250
lb) in weight, and
black marlin, ''Makaira indica'', which have been reliably recorded in excess of 5 m in length and 670 kilograms (1,470 lb) in weight. It is a cousin to the Swordfish. Marlins are very fast and can swim 100 metres (330 ft) in about 4 seconds (Approximately 56 mph). They are popular
sporting fish in certain tropical areas and are also commercially important as a food fish.
Marlin are rarely table fare. Most modern
sport fishermen release marlin after unhooking. Some marlin that are top record setting fish are taken and weighed on shore. Those records are most often recorded in the
IGFA World Record Game Fishes books.
Trivia
★ The
Miami Marlins were a
minor league baseball team in the 1950s and 1960s, and were named after the fish.
★ The name of the
Florida Marlins major league baseball team was inspired by the predecessor minor league team. The Marlins'
mascot is named
Billy the Marlin, partly a reference to baseball player and manager
Billy Martin.
★
American Motors Corporation (AMC) produced a distinctive
fastback "
personal luxury car" named
Marlin from 1965 to 1967.
★ Marlin is the name of
Nemo's father in the
Pixar animated feature film ''
Finding Nemo''.
★ A marlin is a primary character in
Ernest Hemingway's ''
The Old Man and the Sea''.
★
The Blue Marlin is a fishing video game by
Hot-B for the
Nintendo Entertainment System that revolves around a marlin fishing tournament.
★ The Marlin is the mascot of
Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Virginia.
★ The Blue Marlin is a modern beach club at playa Jondal, Ibiza.
References
★
★ Clover, Charles. 2004. ''The End of the Line: How overfishing is changing the world and what we eat''. Ebury Press, London. ISBN 0-09-189780-7
External links
★
International Game Fish Association
★
The Tuna Club - oldest sport fishing organization
★
News article: Marlin spears fisherman as it leaps across boat
★
'Ghost Fish' Revelation May Alter Marlin's Status from
National Public Radio