Striped marlin
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| Tetrapturus audax Philippi, 1887 |
The striped marlin, Tetrapturus audax, is a species of marlin found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate Indo-Pacific oceans not far from the surface. It is a large commercial game fish with a record weight (at 1982) of 190 kg, and a maximum length of 420 cm.
The striped marlin's body is metallic blue-black above, and silvery below, with 15 to 20 narrow lavender vertical stripes. The upper jaw is extended to form a sword-like bill which makes up about 17% of the total length. The fins are dark blue-black. The front of the first dorsal fin is high, reducing rapidly to a much lower fin which continues almost to the second dorsal fin which is set well back. The long scythe-like pectoral fins can be folded back flat against the body, and the pelvic fins are each reduced to a single elongate ray. There are 2 strengthening keels on the caudal peduncle.
Striped marlins primarily feed on cephalopods and fish, especially tuna, which they stun and kill with side to side slashing movements of their bill.
[edit] Sources
- "Tetrapturus audax". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. January 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
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