– Name:
– Common name derived from sailors marlinspike resemblance.
– Taxonomy:
– Family name Istiophoridae from genus Istiophorus.
– Genus Istiophorus first placed species Istiophorus platypterus by George Kearsley Shaw in 1792.
– Derived from Greek word ἱστίον istion meaning sail.
– Family Description:
– Marlins have elongated bodies and spear-like snout or bill.
– Long, rigid dorsal fin extends forward to form a crest.
– Atlantic blue marlin can reach 5m in length and 820kg in weight.
– Black marlin can exceed 5m in length and 670kg in weight.
– Marlins are popular sporting fish in tropical areas.
– Classification:
– Marlins are Istiophoriform fish.
– Closely related to swordfish.
– Second-closest clade to marlins believed to be carangiformes.
– Marlins were previously thought to be closely related to Scombridae.
– See Also:
– Fish portal.
– Marlin fishing.
– Sailfish.
Marlins are fish from the family Istiophoridae, which includes 11 species.
| Marlin | |
|---|---|
| |
| Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Istiophoriformes |
| Family: | Istiophoridae Rafinesque, 1810 |
| Type genus | |
| Istiophorus Lacépède, 1801
| |
| Genera | |