Fishes 2025, 10(5), 201; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10050201 - 28 Apr 2025
Abstract
Understanding the ecology of large pelagic fishes is important for species conservation and maintaining ecosystem dynamics. The Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) is usually targeted in recreational fisheries and occasionally captured as bycatch in pelagic longline fisheries, yet it is considered
[...] Read more.
Understanding the ecology of large pelagic fishes is important for species conservation and maintaining ecosystem dynamics. The Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) is usually targeted in recreational fisheries and occasionally captured as bycatch in pelagic longline fisheries, yet it is considered an overexploited stock in the Atlantic. In this study, pop-up archival satellite tags were deployed on twenty-one blue marlins in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean between February 2006 and August 2021. Results show that blue marlin spent an average of 57% of their time in shallow waters (<10 m) and mostly at temperatures between 26 °C and 28 °C during both day and night. Minimum linear distances observed ranged from 124 to 1995 km, with tracking periods lasting 5 to 215 days. Overall, tagged blue marlins remained around the tagging region during the tracking period, except for six individuals that exhibited more directional movements offshore. The results provided in this study are relevant for better understanding the habitat use of blue marlins in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean and to support analysis for stock assessment purposes, which are often affected by uncertainties and large misreporting rates in the region.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Movement and Conservation of Large Marine Fauna)
►
Show Figures
Figure 1
