Black Marlin
Istiompax indica
The heaviest billfish ever landed on rod and reel, and among the fastest fish in the sea. Rigid pectoral fins that cannot fold against the body set it apart from every other marlin.
Also known as: Giant black marlin
World record
Alfred C. Glassell Jr. · Cabo Blanco, Peru · 1953
Overview
- Scientific name
- Istiompax indica
- Family
- Istiophoridae
- Max length
- 15' 3"
- Typical length
- 12' 6"
- Max weight
- 1,653 lb
- Depth range
- 0–200 m
- Conservation status
- Data deficient
- Difficulty
- Expert
- Fight
- Table quality
How to catch it
Live-baiting scad or bonito on the Great Barrier Reef in the September–December run. Short, brutal fights on 130 lb gear.
How big does it get?
What turns up on an ordinary day, and what a very good one looks like. Almost nobody catches a maximum-size fish — this is the honest spread.
1.8 m angler
Character
What this fish is actually like to catch.
Where it lives
Its band in the water column, against the ocean's real depth zones.
When to fish for it
Relative catch activity through the year, northern hemisphere.
Distribution
Trophy Score of all :n logged catches of this species. A score means nothing until you can see the population behind it.
Top catches on FishRankings
The heaviest of this species recorded by our community.
Nobody has logged one yet. Claim the top spot.
Log a catch4 Related species
| Species | Species | Worth | Max length | World record | Depth zone | Fight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Blue Marlin Makaira nigricans | 297 | 16' 5" | 1,404 lb | Sunlit zone Saltwater | Vulnerable | |
| Striped Marlin Kajikia audax | 263 | 13' 9" | 494 lb | Sunlit zone Saltwater | Near threatened | |
| Longbill Spearfish Tetrapturus pfluegeri | 259 | 8' 4" | 128 lb | Sunlit zone Saltwater | ||
| Mediterranean Spearfish Tetrapturus belone | 256 | 7' 10" | 90 lb 13 oz | Sunlit zone Saltwater | Data deficient |
"Worth" is what a catch of that species is worth before any of your own skill counts — higher means harder to find and harder to beat.