Long-snouted marlin

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Long-snouted marlin
Systematics
Carangaria
Order : Carangiformes
Superfamily : Swordfish relatives (Xiphioidea)
Family : Spearfish (Istiophoridae)
Genre : Tetrapturus
Type : Long-snouted marlin
Scientific name
Tetrapturus Pfluegeri
Robins & de Sylva, 1963

The long- snouted marlin ( Tetrapturus Pfluegeri ) is a large predatory fish that occurs in the open, central Atlantic between 40 ° N and 35 ° S, in the Caribbean and in the Gulf of Mexico .

features

The long-snouted marlin is similar in its external appearance to the white marlin ( Kajikia albida ), becomes a maximum of 2.50 meters long, but usually remains at a length of 1.65 to two meters. The maximum published weight is 58 kg, the average weight is 9 to 36.5 kg. Individual specimens rarely weigh more than 45 kg. The body is elongated, laterally strongly flattened and covered with elongated, angular scales at the back, which end in two to five points. The rostrum forms a slender, long "spear" with a round cross-section, which is usually the same length or longer than the head. Both jaws and the palate are not covered with teeth. Gill trap rays are absent. Right and left Branchiostegal membranes have grown together completely.

The pectoral fins are wide, long and rounded at the end. Their length is more than 18% of the body length. The pelvic fins are slender and almost the same or slightly longer than the pectoral fins. The pectoral and pelvic fins are created when swimming quickly. There are deep pits on the ventral side for the pelvic fins. The first of the two dorsal fins is very long and has a high, rounded tip that is higher than the body height of the fish. It then falls steeply up to the ninth fin ray , but then remains at the same height, with the exception of its rear end. The second dorsal fin is small and short and is symmetrical to the second anal fin. The tail fin stalk is flattened, has two strong keels on each side and is slightly indented on the top and bottom.

The long-snouted marlin has a single, clearly visible side line . It runs in a curve above the pectoral fin base and then straight to the caudal fin base. The anus is well in front of the beginning of the first anal fin, the distance between anus and anal fin corresponds to the height of the anal fin. The number of vertebrae is 24, of which 12 are trunk and 12 tail vertebrae. The gonads are Y-shaped.

The long-snouted marlin is blue-black on the back, silvery-white and brownish-piebald on the sides and silvery-white on the belly. Both dorsal fins are also blue-black, the pectoral fins black-brown, sometimes also gray-white. The pelvic fins are blue-black with black membranes, the first anal fin is dark blue with a silvery-white fin base. The second anal fin is black-brown.

Way of life

The long-nosed marlin lives in the open ocean down to a depth of 200 meters. Like other spearfish, it feeds on pelagic fish and squids . A stomach examination of specimens caught off the northeast coast of Brazil revealed lancefish , anchovies , golden mackerel and squids.

Like all marlins, the long-nosed marlin spawns pelagically, whether in groups or in pairs is unknown. Spawning animals were caught from January to March and April to June, but less in the second quarter of the year. In the Caribbean and the Cape Verde Islands but also from October to December. The females probably spawn only once a year. Eggs have not yet been identified, but the larvae are known.

use

Like other swordfish species, the long-snouted marlin is caught by sport anglers and commercial fishing with rods and longlines. It is often confused with the sailfish ( Istiophorus platypterus ), so that no precise information can be given about the number of long-snouted spearfish caught.

literature

  • Izumi Nakamura: FAO Species Catalog An Annotated and Illustrated Catalog of Marlins, Sailfishes, Spearfishes and Swordfishes Known to date. ISBN 92-5-102232-1 online

Web links