Blue marlin

It is a marine fish belonging to the order Perciformes and family Marlinidae of the class Osteichthyes. It is found in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its back is blackish purple and its belly is brown, making it darker overall than the Japanese marlin. Its name comes from its body color, and it is also called the Japanese blue marlin or simply the black marlin. It is the largest of the marlins, reaching a total length of about 4 meters including its long snout, with females being larger than males. It feeds on squid and small fish, and also preys on larger fish such as bonito, earning it the nickname of the skipjack tuna. It also migrates to the waters near Japan in summer. The Atlantic blue marlin found in the Atlantic Ocean is now considered to be the same species.

[Shoji Kamiyanagi, Mimoto Ogura]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

硬骨魚綱スズキ目マカジキ科に属する海水魚。太平洋、インド洋の熱帯、亜熱帯の海に分布する。背部が黒紫色で腹部が褐色を帯び、全体的にマカジキよりも黒っぽい。名はその体色に由来し、クロカワカジキまたは単にクロカワともよばれる。カジキ類ではもっとも大形で、全長は長い吻(ふん)を含み約4メートルに達し、雌が雄よりも大形。食餌(しょくじ)はイカや小魚で、カツオなど大形の魚も捕食しカツオクイの異名がある。夏には日本近海にも回遊する。大西洋に分布するニシクロカジキは現在では同一種とされている。

［上柳昭治・小倉未基］

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