Appearance
- Body dark blue to brown, fading to a silvery-white belly
- Dorsal fin dark blue with noticeable black spots
- Tips of first dorsal, pectoral and first anal fins are rounded
- Upper jaw elongated into a spear shape
- Scales imbedded with a single sharp point
- Lateral line curves over the pectoral fin
Similar Species: Blue marlin, M. nigricans (dorsal fin pointed and lacks spots; tips of pectoral and anal fins pointed); and longbill spearfish, T. pfluegeri (dorsal fin raised in front, then dips slightly, but remains somewhat high)
Size: Up to 9.5 feet (180 pounds)
Habitat
Offshore waters
Behavior
Uses its bill to stun fast-moving fishes, then turns to consume them; spawning procedures unknown; ranges throughout the Atlantic and Caribbean; feeds on squid and pelagic fishes
Additional Information
State Record: 161 lb, caught near Miami Beach
Image Credit: © Diane Rome Peebles