Marlin

Marlins are fascinating fish that belong to the family Istiophoridae. There are between 9 and 11 different species of marlins, depending on how scientists classify them. These fish are known for their long, powerful bodies and enormous bills, which can look like spears. They live in warm oceans around the world and are excellent at swimming fast and far. Marlin species play an important role in ocean ecosystems and are also popular among people who enjoy fishing.

Name

The family’s common name is thought to come from how they look like a sailor’s marlinspike.

Taxonomy

The name Istiophoridae comes from the group Istiophorus, first used by George Kearsley Shaw in 1792. It is based on a Greek word meaning "sail," which describes the shape of the fish's dorsal fins.

The family includes between 9 and 11 species of fish known as marlins.

Family description

Marlins are fish with long, slender bodies and a spear-like snout or bill. They also have a long, stiff dorsal fin that extends forward to form a crest.

These fish are among the fastest swimmers in the sea. Some people say they can go very fast, but these claims are often not true. Big marlins, like the Atlantic blue marlin and the black marlin, can grow longer than 5 meters and weigh over 800 kilograms. They are popular sport fish in warm areas, but some kinds are in danger because people catch too many of them. Marlins can change color, showing their stripes just before catching their food.

spear snout dorsal fin crest Atlantic blue marlin black marlin sporting fish white marlin overfishing

Classification

The marlins are Istiophoriform fish, and they are most closely related to the swordfish, which is the only member of the family Xiphiidae. The carangiformes are thought to be the next closest group to marlins. Even though people once thought marlins were very close to Scombridae, studies show they are only slightly related.

Extant genera

Fossil genera

Marlins have fossils that go back to around 22 million years ago, showing they probably evolved in the Paratethys Sea. Some known fossil genera include:

• †Morgula Gracia et al., 2022
• †Pizzikoskerma Gracia, Villalobos-Segura, Ballen, Carnevale & Kriwet, 2024
• †Prototetrapturus Gracia et al., 2022
• †Sicophasma Gracia, Villalobos-Segura, Ballen, Carnevale & Kriwet, 2024
• †Spathochoira Gracia et al., 2022
• †Thalattorhynchus Schultz, 1987 (nomen dubium)

Popular culture

In the book The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, an old fisherman named Santiago catches a marlin after many days without success. This leads to a big challenge for him.

Another story, "The Emperor" by Frederick Forsyth, features a bank manager who catches a marlin and becomes known as a great fisherman on the island of Mauritius.

A marlin also appears in the book The Man Who Loved Children by Christina Stead. In this story, a man gives his friend a marlin, and they use the fish's fat together.

The professional baseball team from Miami, Florida, called the Miami Marlins, gets its name from this fish.

In the movie Finding Nemo, Nemo's father is named Marlin.