Makaira nigricans
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Blue marlin populations face severe pressure from intensive commercial and recreational fishing across their range, with longline fisheries posing the greatest threat through both targeted catches and bycatch mortality. Overfishing has led to significant population declines, particularly in the Atlantic where spawning biomass has dropped substantially below sustainable levels. The species' slow growth rate, late sexual maturity, and highly migratory nature make recovery challenging even with conservation measures in place.
Habitat
Blue marlin inhabit tropical and subtropical oceanic waters worldwide, preferring the epipelagic zone above the thermocline where water temperatures exceed 24°C. They are highly migratory, moving between deep offshore waters for feeding and shallower areas near continental shelves and seamounts for spawning.
