Niramin - Apr 26th, 2016
The famous Atlantic blue marlin or blue marlin (Latin Makaira nigricans) lives in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Closer to the equator, you can make a kind of fishing feat - to catch a blue marlin. After all, in order to become the owner of the "Grand Slam", but not tennis, but what takes place in a fishing environment, besides other conditions, it is necessary to catch this particular fish.
There are countries where marlin fishing is rather strictly regulated by local legislation. In some of them, the law requires that the entire catch be released. But the main thing for a person obsessed with fishing is not to eat the fish, but to defeat it. In the case of blue marlin, the fight will always be long, difficult and interesting.
Judge for yourself, the length of the fish can be up to 4 meters, and the weight of the beauty can be up to 0.8 tons. Precisely, beauties. Marlins are one of the few animals whose females are much larger than their male counterparts. The fish is dark blue in the upper part of the body and silvery on the sides, with unusually beautiful dorsal fins and a spear-shaped snout, capable of accelerating to 100 km / h. Some peoples call her the fish king.
Royal marlin fish prefer open water and shallow water. But it can come to the shore and go to the depths. They live in small flocks, about a dozen individuals. The fish is predatory, it is believed that everything else prefers tuna, crabs and shrimp.
In the third year of its life, the marlin becomes sexually mature, that is, ready for breeding. The female lays eggs in large enough quantities, of the order of several million eggs. This happens up to 4 times a year.
Blue marlin in the photo:
Photo: Atlantic blue marlin. 
Video: Blue Marlin Action - lots of jumps and fights
Video: Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans)
Calories, kcal:
Proteins, g:
Carbohydrates, g:
Marlin is not one particular fish, but a family of fish that lives in the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, in the western part.
The most famous types of marlin are blue marlin, the largest of all marlin. The length of an adult fish can reach 3 meters, and its weight is about 800 kg. There is such a type of marlin as striped marlin, its distinctive feature is the transverse stripes throughout the body (calorizator). There are also black and white types of marlin. The bodies of these fish species are colored accordingly.
Calorie content of marlin
The calorie content of marlin is low, it is 112 kcal per 100 grams of product.
The composition and useful properties of marlin
Marlin fish meat contains a large amount of vitamins, minerals, healthy Omega-3 fats. With regular consumption of fish meat, you can reduce the risk of certain diseases.
Marlin in cooking
In the cuisine of different countries, marlin fish meat is highly valued. Most often soups are prepared from this fish and meat is baked over coals. Japanese sushi - kajiki is prepared with marlin fish meat. Moreover, the meat is practically not subjected to heat treatment.
Due to the fact that fish meat contains little fat, the main thing is not to overexpose it when frying. Grilling fish is the best processing method. In this form, marlin is tender and juicy.
You can also cook marlin by pickling it and then frying it in oil and in many other ways.
Raw fish meat has a reddish color, boiled - pinkish. Elastic in consistency, pleasant to the taste (calorizer). The meat of those types of marlin fish, which have a high fat content in the meat, has a glossy sheen, as if it were varnished.
Marlin fish meat and meat are interchangeable, that is, when preparing sashimi or other fish dishes using raw fish, they can easily replace each other.
Every fisherman dreams of a good big catch. Professional anglers are trying to catch the biggest fish and set a new world record. Each of us understands that an absolute record for all time is impossible. There will certainly be craftsmen who can achieve greater results than their predecessors, but people eat for whom the desire to become the most successful angler becomes the goal of their whole life. The names of these lucky ones were included in the list of the International Sport Fishing Association.
Ken Fraster caught the world's largest Atlantic tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in the waters of Olds Cove in Nova Scotia, Canada. This event took place on October 26, 1979. The fish weighed 678 kg and Ken managed to catch it in just 45 minutes, for which he became famous for the rest of his life.
The record large Atlantic blue marlin (Latin Makaira nigricans) was caught by Paulo Amorim on February 29, 1992. He fought the whopper for 80 minutes and pulled him to the Victoria Coast in Brazil. Marlin weighed almost 635 kg and surpassed the previous record by 54 kg.
A swordfish (Latin Xiphias gladius) of record size was caught on May 7, 1953 in Chilean waters off the coast of Iquique. The lucky one was Lou Maron, who pulled the giant out in 2 hours. It was 4.55 meters long and weighed over 536 kilograms.
4. The giant of the Mekong River - catfish "Grizzly Bear"
On May 1, 2005, a fisherman from northern Thailand caught what many scientists around the world consider the largest freshwater fish in the world - the giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas). Its length was 2.74 meters and it weighed 293 kilograms. Since in size it resembled an adult grizzly bear, the locals named it that way.
On October 16, 1986, a fisherman named Lothar Lewis caught a giant pike 152 centimeters long in Lake Greffern, in western Germany. The fish weighed 25 kg, which is almost 5 kg more than the previous record set by Peter Dubuk. It took Lothar Lewis 40 minutes to deal with the giant and pull it ashore.
This huge trout perch (Latin Micropterus salmonides) holds a record for two reasons: firstly, it weighs 10 kilograms, and secondly, it is also the oldest trout perch in the world - it is 77 years old. He was caught by Manabu Kurita from Aichi City in Japan on July 2, 2009.
This scary species is commonly found in the southwestern United States, but also occasionally swims north to Illinois and south to Veracruz, Mexico. This fish was shot by John Paul Morris and it weighed 104 kg.
The giant tiger fish (Latin Hydrocynus goliath) lives in the waters of the rivers of central Africa and is famous for its large teeth. Record-sized tigerfish caught on 9 July 1988 by Raymond Houtmans. The weight of the fish was almost 44 kilograms.
The name "marlin" is common to fish that belong to the family of sailfish and the order of perchiformes. In general, this includes eleven species, the main of which are such as Atlantic blue, blue, black, striped and marlin (its photos are located below) can reach speeds of up to 130 km / h and is an active, ruthless predator. Among its distinctive characteristics should be called an elongated streamlined body and a head with a spear-like process. In terms of size, it is the largest among all.Cases have been recorded when the length of some individuals reached five meters. Marlin fish, regardless of the species, is considered an elite trophy in sport fishing. In most cases, she is photographed and released. Therefore, dishes made from it belong to the category of delicacies that are found mainly in expensive restaurants.
The most valuable in the whole family is marlin. Its body is covered with many oblong small scales that are completely hidden under the skin. The dorsal fin consists of two parts of different sizes. The main, first fin has a long base with spiny rays, and the second is short and is located closer to the tail. The pectoral fins differ in that they are not adjacent to the body. The tail of this fish is crescent-shaped and formed by thin but extremely strong lobes. The jaw teeth are poorly developed. The weight of the black marlin variety is also large. Once a specimen was caught with a record weight of 708 kilograms.
These fish are found mainly in the waters of the Indian, Pacific Oceans, as well as off the coast of Central America and Mexico. The predator feeds mainly on tuna and squid, less often on others. At great depths, it practically does not hunt. Marlin fish spawn mainly in the equatorial regions of the tropical strip. This process lasts throughout the year. At the same time, members of the family do not create large clusters and do not carry out systematic migrations. An interesting feature of this type of fish is breathing. The fact is that while under water, they swim with their mouths half open. The water, which at this time passes through their gills, enriches the blood and the entire body with oxygen.
Marlin fish, regardless of the subspecies, has a highly valuable and very tasty meat. It is caught mainly by the longline method (tuna is caught in the same way), or with the help of a harpoon. In sport fishing, spinning is used. However, dealing with a hooked giant is often lengthy and difficult. The fish constantly tries to go deep, and sometimes even jumps high into the air. Among inveterate fans of this sport, it should be noted that knowledge of the habits of marlin and the intricacies of the process of catching them helped to write the story "The Old Man and the Sea". Now everyone has the opportunity to see a stuffed fish of this fish by visiting the Museum of Natural History, which is located at the Washington Smithsonian Institution.
The sailing family includes such a species as the Atlantic blue marlin. Some sources call it blue marlin. This fish is thermophilic. Inhabits the tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean all year round. In warmer months it expands its range to temperate waters, but with the onset of cold weather it returns to the tropics again. There are more representatives of the species in the west of the Atlantic than in the east. Some specimens are found in the Indian Ocean, where they swim during migration.
Description
Females are 4 times larger than males. The mass of the latter rarely exceeds 160 kg, but the weight of females varies from 540 to 820 kg. However, the officially registered maximum female weight is only 636 kg. An effigy of this fish is located in the city of Vitoria (state of Espirito Santo, Brazil). The head of the marlin is crowned with a long and strong "spear". Its length from end to eyes is 20% of the total body length. But the greatest length of the body is 5 meters. But only females grow to this size.
There are 2 dorsal and 2 anal fins. They are supported by special bone spines (rays). There are many rays. In the first dorsal fin, there are from 39 to 43, and in the second 6-7. The pectoral fins are long and narrow and also have rays. To reduce water resistance and increase speed, the pectoral and anal fins are retracted into special recesses on the body.
Blue marlins, thanks to the pigment in the cells, can change color. But in most cases the body is black and blue above and silvery white below. On the sides there are transverse pale blue stripes. From above, the body is covered with elongated bony scales. There are small teeth in the mouth. On the sides of the body, nerve endings stretch, catching fluctuations in water and changes in pressure.
Reproduction and life expectancy
Sexual maturity occurs in males weighing 35-45 kg, while in females this indicator is 48-60 kg. By age, this is 2 to 4 years old. During the season, which takes place in late summer and autumn, females can spawn up to 4 times. Larvae emerge from the eggs. They grow rapidly and turn into juveniles. In young fish, the first dorsal fins are very tall, but as they grow, they decrease in size relative to body length. The Atlantic blue marlin lives in its native element from 18 to 27 years. Moreover, females live 10 years longer than males.
Behavior and nutrition
This species is in high commercial demand. It is also caught as a by-catch in other fish species. And in addition to that, it is popular with sport anglers. As a result, blue marlin is threatened by the IUCN.
These marine inhabitants feed on other marlin, tuna, small schooling fish, squid. The victim's weight is limited to 45 kg. The "spear" with which the head ends is of great help in hunting. Atlantic blue marlins crash into a school of fish and use a "spear" to stun, injure or kill the prey, and then eat it. In the stomachs of these marine predators, fishermen often find undigested remains of fish, on which chopped and puncture wounds are visible. They are inflicted by the "spear" during the hunt.