Striped Marlin

Usually between 40 - 200lbs. Record weight (in 1982) of 190 kg (420 lb) and a maximum length of 4.2 m (13.8 ft)..

Marlin Raye (French), Gestreifter Marlin (German), Pesce Lancia Striato (Italian), Marlin Rayado (Spanish)

Found in tropical and warm temperate waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans, the striped marlin is pelagic and seasonally migratory, moving toward the equator during the cold season and away again during the warm season. This widely distributed pelagic and oceanodromous species is usually found above the thermocline. It has been found to depths of 289 m. It generally inhabits cooler water than either Black Marlin or Blue Marlin (Nakamura 1985). Abundance increases with distance from the continental shelf; usually seen close to shore only where deep drop-offs occur (Kailola et al. 1993). It is mostly solitary, but forms small schools by size during the spawning season. They are usually dispersed at considerably wide distances.. Epipelagic and oceanic species, usually found above the thermocline. Generally inhabit cooler water than either black (Makaira indica) or blue marlin (M. mazara) (Ref. 43). Most dominant and widely distributed of all billfishes. Their abundance increases with distance from the continental shelf. Usually seen close to shore only where deep drop-offs occur. Mostly solitary, but form small schools by size during the spawning season. They are usually dispersed at considerably wide distances. Feed on fishes, crustaceans and squids. Also caught with the harpoon.

Striped Marlin, or Nairagi in Japanese, can be distinguished from its cousin, the blue marlin, by its distinct blue bands across the width of its body. It is also lighter and has a more slender bill. Marlins are a highly migratory fish living at the top of the food chain in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is a member of a larger family known as billfish, which get their name from their upper jaw that extends to form a spear. Because of its immense size, marlin is prized as a sports fish. The most distinguishing characteristic is its high, pointed first dorsal fin, which normally equals or exceeds the greatest body depth. Even in the largest specimens this fin is at least equal to 90 percent of the body depth. Like the dorsal fin, the anal and pectoral fins are pointed. They are also flat and movable and can easily be folded flush against the sides, even after death. The sides are very compressed. The lateral line is straight, single and clearly visible. The back is steely blue fading to bluish silver on the upper flanks and white below the lateral line. There are a number of iridescent blue spots on the fins and pale blue or lavender vertical stripes on the sides. These may or may not be prominent, but they are normally more prominent than those of other marlins, and they persist after death, which is not always true on other marlins.Marlin are highly migratory and, therefore, not a lot is known about their spawning periods and behaviors. Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 42-48; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 18 - 24. Body elongated and compressed; upper jaw produced into a robust and medium sized beak; two dorsal fins, the height of the first greater than the greatest depth, short anteriorly, taller in the middle, then becoming shorter posteriorly; pectoral fins falcate and flexible, with 18 to 22 rays; body densely covered by small, embedded scales with 1 or 2 bluntish points; back dark blue; belly silvery; membrane of first dorsal fin blue black without dark spots; flanks with about 20 bluish stripes. Blue-black above and silvery white below, with about 15 rows of cobalt-colored stripes; 1st dorsal fin dark blue; other fins dark brown, sometimes with a tinge of dark blue; anal fin bases with a tinge of silvery white.

Females are indeterminate batch spawners with asynchronous oocyte development. Larvae are most abundant in the respective local early summers. The seasonal occurrence of mature females coincides with that of the larvae. The lower temperature limit in the distribution of larvae is approximately 24°C, both in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Spawning sites are between 10°S and 30°S in Southwest Pacific and 10°S and 20°S in northeastern Indian Ocean

Summary of Distribution: Indo-Pacific: tropical, subtropical and temperate waters. Highly migratory species, Annex I of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea (Ref. 26139). The distribution in the Pacific Ocean is unique among billfishes and tunas in that it forms a horseshoe-shaped pattern from the northwest Pacific through the eastern Pacific to the southwest Pacific. In the Indian Ocean, fish are more densely distributed in equatorial regions with higher concentrations off eastern Africa, in the western Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and off northwestern Australia
Note: Distribution range colors indicate degree of suitability of habitat which can be interpreted as probabilities of occurrence (fishbase.org)

	Trolling A trolling boat has multiple outriggers, poles and lines attached that use lures dragged across the ocean surface at speeds of 4 – 10 knots. Large beefy hooks are used with special durable lures allowing the fisherman to easily unhook the gamefish that has been caught and quickly get their lines back into the water. The larger the lures, the larger the potential fish, the larger the hooks. A tuna boat will usually make slow wide circles when trolling. A billfish boat will usually work ledges, fathom lines, zig zag area coordinates or make trolling circles if bait or a porpoise school is located and/or if they are fishing a FAD..
	Kite Fishing (Rig) A Kite Fishing Rig is....

	Pelagic Longline This fishery uses a longline to catch a variety of pelagic fish on the high seas such as tuna and swordfish. A deep-set longline is used to primarily target tuna and a shallow-set longline is used to target swordfish or mixed species including bigeye, Albacore and yellowfin tuna. Baited hooks are attached to a line that floats in the ocean using buoys and flagpoles.

Live bait and Big Game Lures with Skirts.

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