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Blue Marlin (Makaira Nigricans)
Description: Cobalt blue on top shading
to silvery white on bottom, upper jaw elongated in form of a spear, dorsal
fin pointed at front end, pectoral fin and anal fin pointed, lateral line
reticulated (interwoven like a net, difficult to see in large specimens),
no dark spots on dorsal fin, body covered with imbedded scales ending
in one or two sharp points.
Size: The blue marlin is the largest
of the Atlantic marlins, common to 11 feet, known to exceed 2,000 pounds.
Range: An offshore, blue-water fish,
pelagic, makes trans-Atlantic migrations.
Natural History: Most trophy size blue
marlin are females, males normally do not exceed 300 pounds, spawning
procedures are unknown, feeds on squid and pelagic fishes including tuna,
dolphin (dorado) and mackerel. |
Dolphin Fish (Coryphaena hippurus)
Description: Bright greenish blue above,
yellow on sides, with capability of flashing purple, chartreuse, and a
wide range of other colors, body tapers sharply from head to tail, irregular
blue or golden blotches scattered over sides, anterior profile of head
on adult males (bull) is nearly vertical, head of females more sloping,
the single dark dorsal fin extends from just behind the head to the tail,
anal fin margin concave and extending from anus to tail.
Other Common Names: Dorado, Mahi Mahi
Size: Common to 30 pounds, can exceed
50 pounds.
Range: Offshore, in warm waters.
Natural History: A very aerobatic fish,
often leaping clear of the water, one of the fastest-growing fish, thought
to live no more than 5 years, swimming speed estimated at 50 knots, spawns
in warm oceanic currents throughout much of the year, young found in sargassum
weed, feeds on flying fish and squid. |
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Wahoo (Acanthocybium solanderi)
Description: Numerous dark vertical
bands on the side extending to below the lateral line, finlets behind
the dorsal and anal fins, long snout, about half the length of the head,
gill rakers are absent, first segment of the dorsal fin, with more than
20 spines, is about as high in the mid region as it is in front, upper
and lower parts of tail are almost straight up and down.
Other Common Names: Ocean barracuda,
Tigerfish
Size: Large by standards of most fish
families, reported to reach up to six feet and 100 pounds.
Range: Found worldwide in tropical and
warm temperate seas. In Western Atlantic waters, they range from New Jersey
to Colombia. Migratory, venturing far northward in summer, returning to
the tropics with the onset of cold.
Natural History: A large, powerful fish,
usually loners, found well offshore even to mid oceanic regions. They
are voracious predators, swiftly overtaking prey, of which flying fish
and halfbeaks are favorites. Little is known of their reproductive habits.
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Yellow Fin Tuna (Thunnus albacares)
Description: Fusiform body, more slender
than that of bluefin or bigeye. Small eyes and head, longer 2nd dorsal
and anal fins than any other tuna (which get longer with age). Liver without
striations on ventral surface. Swimbladder present. 26-35 gill rakers
on first gill arch. Pectoral fins usually reach beyond the origin of the
2nd dorsal fin but not beyond the end of its base. Dark blue back with
yellow lateral band on the upper sides. Lower sides and belly silvery-gray,
often with chains of white vertical lines and spots. 2nd dorsal and anal
fins yellow. Finlets yellow with a narrow black margin.
Size: Commonly 16 to 67 inches, can
grow to 75 inches and 388+ pounds.
Range: A warm-water species, yellowfin
is the most tropical species of tuna. Abundant in tropical waters throughout
Atlantic. Young are known to form large schools near surface. Adults inhabit
fairly deep water but also live near the surface. Often mixed with other
species, especially skipjack and bigeye.
Natural History: Yellowfin are sexually
mature when they reach a length of approximately 40 inches, and spawning
occurs throughout the year in the core areas of distribution (between
15' N and 15' S Latitude), including the Gulf of Mexico with peaks occurring
in summer months. |
