Marlin

1. FUN FACT: Blue marlin has elongated body, long tail, pronounced dorsal fin and sharp, spear-shaped upper jaw.

2. FUN FACT: All of the largest Marlin’s are female. blue marlin reproduce through external (rather than internal) fertilization, where the female releases her eggs into the water column while the male releases his sperm. Once the sperm find the eggs, fertilization occurs. The blue marlin is a targeted fish in some specific areas. Their population is decreasing and it is leading to extinction.

3. FUN FACT: Mating season of blue marlins takes place late in the summer or early in the autumn. Females become sexually mature when they gain the weight of 265 pounds. Males reach sexual maturity at the age of three years.

4. FUN FACT: Females are able to spawn 4 times per single mating season, releasing up to 7 million eggs. Only small percent of released eggs (less than 1%) will survive until the adulthood. Majority of eggs will be eaten by other marine creatures. Average lifespan of female blue marlin is 27 years in the wild. Males live much shorter - only 18 years.

5. Threats they face are increased boat traffic, overfishing and accidental caught. In the near future do to uncontrolled fishing and pollution of the ocean they can become endanger http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/blue_marlin_facts/297/

6. They are cobalt-blue on top and silvery-white below, with a pronounced dorsal fin and a long, lethal, spear-shaped upper jaw. Blue Marlin | National Geographic

7. The Marlin lives in the temperate waters of the Atlantic,Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

8. Marlins eat mackerels and tuna,they use their spears to break through schools,eat wounded.

9. BY: Chasity, Jasie, Kiara

10. All of the largest Marlin’s are female. blue marlin reproduce through external (rather than internal) fertilization, where the female releases her eggs into the water column while the male releases his sperm. Once the sperm find the eggs, fertilization occurs. The blue marlin is a targeted fish in some specific areas. The blue marlin’s population is decreasing. http://oceana.org/marine-life/ocean-fishes/blue-marlin

11. FUN FACT: Blue marlin has 24 vertebrae which allow fast movement through the water. It reaches the speed of 60 miles per hour.