Marine Life

Indo-Pacific Blue marlin

Noomas hibaru

Makaira mazara

Makaira mazara has often been referred to as Makaira nigricans, but this name is now only applied to the Atlantic Blue Marlin, which differs in lateral line morphology. Blue Marlins are caught by both commercial longlines and sports fishermen, and were previously recorded under the family Istiophoridae in the Catalogue of Fishes of the Maldives, Vol. 3, page 446.

Details

§ 01

size: Common to 3.5 m; max. 4.3 m
color: Blue black dorsally, pale ventrally. About 15 cobalt coloured vertical stripes.
order: Perciformes
family: Xiphidae
image url: https://assets.explore.mv/fishes/makaira-mazara.png
habitat and biology: This species is found in the oceanic environment, inhabiting the upper layers of the water column and exhibiting a migratory behavior. It feeds on a wide range of fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods.
distinctive characters: The first dorsal fin has 40-45 rays, the second dorsal fin has 6-7 rays, the pectoral fin has 20-23 rays, the bill is round in cross-section, the body is not strongly compressed, the nape is highly elevated, the pectoral fins are not rigid and can be folded, and the body is covered by densely embedded scales.