White marlin

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White marlin

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Istiophoridae
Genus:	Tetrapturus
Species:	T. albidus

Binomial name

Tetrapturus albidus
Poey, 1860

The White marlin is a U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service Species of Concern. Species of Concern are those species about which the U.S. Government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, has some concerns regarding status and threats, but for which insufficient information is available to indicate a need to list the species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).

1 Species Description
2 Ecology
3 Conservation
4 Conservation Designation
5 Status Reviews
6 References

[edit] Species Description

White marlin are large, elongated fish with a large upper jaw that forms a spear which is round in cross-section. They are dark blue to chocolate-brown in color. Although generally considered to be a rare and solitary species relative to other similar fish, white marlin occur in small groups consisting of several individuals.

[edit] Ecology

Average size is 45 to 65 lbs (20-30 kg), with females reaching relatively larger sizes. White marlin preferred habitat is deep blue water over 330 feet. The species is usually migrates to high latitudes in the warm season. They reproduce while in the subtropics; spawning in early summer in deep, oceanic waters. Prey items include a variety of fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods.

[edit] Conservation

White marlin are mostly caught as bycatch in international longline fisheries. However, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) reports indicate that recent international management recommendations have started stabilizing the stock biomass.

[edit] Conservation Designation

No conservation designations exist for the species.

[edit] Status Reviews

A new status review was completed by NMFS in December of 2007. The decision to remove the white marlin from the species of concern list is still pending.