Marlins are fish from the family Istiophoridae, which includes between 9 and 11 species, depending on the taxonomic authority.
Name
The family's common name is thought to derive from their resemblance to a sailor's marlinspike.
Taxonomy
The family name Istiophoridae comes from the genus Istiophorus which first placed the species Istiophorus platypterus by George Kearsley Shaw in 1792 from the Greek word istion meaning "sail" that describes the shape of the species's dorsal fins.
Family description
Marlins have elongated bodies, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long, rigid dorsal fin which extends forward to form a crest.
Marlins, an apex predator, are among the fastest marine swimmers. However, greatly exaggerated speeds are often claimed in popular literature, based on unreliable or outdated reports.
The larger species include the Atlantic blue marlin, Makaira nigricans, which can reach in length and in weight and the black marlin, Istiompax indica, which can reach in excess of in length and in weight. They are popular sporting fish in tropical areas.<!-- encyclopedic? Many sporting fishers like to try their luck at catching a massive marlin. --> The Atlantic blue marlin and the white marlin are endangered due to overfishing.
Marlins can change colour, lighting up their stripes just before attacking prey.
Classification
The marlins are Istiophoriform fish, most closely related to the swordfish (which itself is the sole member of the family Xiphiidae). The carangiformes are believed to be the second-closest clade to marlins. Although previously thought to be closely related to Scombridae, genetic analysis only shows a slight relationship.
Extant genera
:{| class="wikitable"
|+
|-
! Image !! Genus !! Living species !! Common name
|-
| 175px<br/> || Istiompax<br/> || Istiompax indica || black marlin
|-
|rowspan=2| 175px<br/> ||rowspan=2| Istiophorus<br/> || I. albicans || Atlantic sailfish
|-
| I. platypterus || Indo-Pacific sailfish
|-
|rowspan=2| 175px<br/> ||rowspan=2| Makaira<br/> || Makaira nigricans<br/> || Atlantic blue marlin
|-
| Makaira mazara<br/> || Indo-Pacific blue marlin
|-
|rowspan=2| 175px<br/> ||rowspan=2| Kajikia<br/> || Kajikia albida<br/> || white marlin
|-
| Kajikia audax<br/> || striped marlin
|-
|rowspan=4| 175px<br/> ||rowspan=4| Tetrapturus<br/> || Tetrapturus angustirostris<br/> || shortbill spearfish
|-
| Tetrapturus belone<br/> || Mediterranean spearfish
|-
| Tetrapturus georgii<br/> || roundscale spearfish
|-
| Tetrapturus pfluegeri<br/> || longbill spearfish
|}
Fossil genera
Marlins have a continuous fossil record from the Miocene onwards, with the oldest uncontroversial fossil dated to 22 million years ago. It is thought that they probably evolved in the Paratethys Sea.
The following fossil genera are known:
- †Morgula <small>Gracia et al., 2022</small>
- †Pizzikoskerma <small>Gracia, Villalobos-Segura, Ballen, Carnevale & Kriwet, 2024</small>
- †Prototetrapturus <small>Gracia et al., 2022</small>
- †Sicophasma <small>Gracia, Villalobos-Segura, Ballen, Carnevale & Kriwet, 2024</small>
- †Spathochoira <small>Gracia et al., 2022</small>
- †Thalattorhynchus <small>Schultz, 1987</small> (nomen dubium)