Synonym

Found living exclusively in the deeps of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the black marlin is one of the most sought after fish on the planet. Having been immortalized by famous authors Ernest Hemmingway and Zane Grey, the black marlin holds the reputation of being a powerful, sleek, elusive creature. A very highly migratory fish, the black marlin almost never dives any deeper than a hundred feet beneath the ocean’s surface. This species, along with the blue marlin, also tends to live near underwater structures like reefs and continental shelves.

Comparing Black and Blue Marlins

Black marlins are frequently confused with blue marlin, especially when the fish are less than 100 pounds in weight. However the pectoral fin on a black marlin does not fold back when pushed by hand whereas the blues does. The bill on a large black also tends to be shorter and heavier than that of a blue marlin. Along with the distinguishing trait of their dorsal fin being proportionately the lowest of any billfish (it stands just 50 percent of the fish’s body height), the black marlin is the only marlin with non-retractable fins.

Appearance

The black marlin has a distinguishing slate color that gradually transforms into a silver underbelly. When excited, it may also display light blue stripes on its sides. Some black marlin specimen have also shown a glossy, silver sheen all over their body, leading some in Hawaii to dub this species the “silver marlin”. Black marlins can mature up to 15 feet in length and have been recorded weighing in at an astonishing 1000 pounds. However, male black marlins are in general almost always smaller than their female counterparts. For example, it is extremely rare that a male black marlin exceeds 300 pounds. To eat, research shows that black marlin use their long, sharp bills to devour their prey.

Hunting for Black Marlin

As anyone who has ever caught a black marlin will attest, once you have hooked a black marlin on your line, you are in for a serious battle. Once on the line, black marlins have been known to picturesquely jump from the ocean before diving deep back down. They will fight even an experienced angler for hours on end. In order to get a black marlin on your hook, however, you must employ one of the tried and true methods fishermen have carefully mastered. A very common way to get a black marlin is to troll boldly colored lures as well as rigged baitfish behind boats. As with many big-game fish, live bait has also been proven to produce good results.

Black Marlin in the Marketplace

Due to the nature of large scale commercial Black Marlin fishing, black marlins are in higher demand than ever because of the strain placed on fisheries around the world. In some places, it is now required by law that if you catch a black marlin, you must tag and release it. These laws have been put into place even though there has been no declaration by any governing agency that the species, including the Blue Marlin fishing, has become endangered. In the United States, you can find black marlin in the frozen food section of your local grocery store. In japan, this species is in high demand for their flourishing sushi markets. However, some countries have banned the black marlin from public consumption due to the higher volume of mercury they contain compared to other species.