font settings and languages

Font Size: Large | Normal | Small
Font Face: Verdana | Geneva | Georgia
Languages:

ZipcodeZoo.com needs to raise another $12,000 to reach our goal of $35,000 by year end.
Please click here to donate

Makaira indica

(Short Nosed Sword Fish)

Overview

[ Back to top ]

Family : Billfishes ; Oceanic , usually found in surface waters above the thermocline, often near shore close to land masses, islands and coral reefs. Feed on fishes , squids , cuttlefishes, octopods, large decapod crustaceans and mostly on small tunas when abundant (Ref. 9668). The flesh is of good quality; marketed refrigerated or frozen and prepared as sashimi in Japan (Ref. 9308). Also Ref. 9692.

Common Names

[ Back to top ]

Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Afrikaans:

Swart Marlyn

Common Names in Arabic:

Kheil Al Bahar

Common Names in Austronesian (Other):

Taguraar

Common Names in Carolinian:

Taguraar

Common Names in Cotabato Cha:

Dugho

Common Names in Cotabato Chavacano:

Dugho, Tandalayang

Common Names in Creole, Fren:

Var

Common Names in Creole, French:

Marlin Noir, Varé, Var

Common Names in Creoles and Pidgins,:

Marlin Noir, Varé

Common Names in Danish:

Marlin, Sort Marlin

Common Names in Dutch:

Marlijn, Zwarte Marlijn, Zwarte Marlin

Common Names in English:

Black Marlin, Black Marlin Fish, Black-Marlin, Giant Black Marlin, Marlin, Pacific Black Marlin, Short Nosed Sword Fish, Short-Nosed Swordfish, Silver Marlin, Silver Marlin Fish

Common Names in Finnish:

Mustamarliini

Common Names in French:

Makaire Noir, Marlin Noir

Common Names in German:

Marlin, Schwarzer Marlin, Weißer Marlin, Weier Marlin

Common Names in Hawaiian:

A´u, A'u

Common Names in Hiligaynon:

Malasugi

Common Names in Ilokano:

Dol-Lakak

Common Names in Italian:

Marlin Nero, Pesce Lancia

Common Names in Japanese:

Kurokawa, Shirokajiki

Common Names in Konkani:

Tonki

Common Names in Korean:

Baek-Sae-Chi

Common Names in Malay:

Layaran, Mersuji, Suji

Common Names in Mandarin Chi:

Ha Shì Tái Wan Sha

Common Names in Mandarin Chinese:

印度槍魚, 白肉旗魚, 立翅旗魚, 翹翅仔, 馬林槍魚, 白肉旗魚, 白肉旗鱼, 立翅旗魚, 立翅旗鱼, 翘翅仔, 翹翅仔, 馬林槍魚, 马林枪鱼, 印度枪鱼, 印度槍魚

Common Names in Maori:

Taketonga

Common Names in Maranao/Samal/Tao Su:

Malasugue, Marlin

Common Names in Marathi:

तदमासा, Tadmasa

Common Names in Misima-Panea:

Black Marlin, Bwagilum

Common Names in Misima-Paneati:

Black Marlin, Bwagilum

Common Names in Norwegian:

Svart Marlin

Common Names in Other:

Malakay

Common Names in Persian:

Neyzeh-Mahi-E-Syah

Common Names in Polish:

Makaira Czarna

Common Names in Portuguese:

Espadim, Espadim Negro, Espadim-Negro, Espadim-Petro, Expadim-Negro, Marlin-Negro, Sombra-Negra

Common Names in Russian:

Sere Bristyi Marlin

Common Names in Samoan:

Sa'ula-Oso

Common Names in Serbian:

Marlin

Common Names in Sinhalese:

Ahin Koppara, Dhappara, Ghappara, Kalu Koppara, Kopparaikulla, Kopparan, Kopparava, Makara, Marlin, Saparava, Sapparava

Common Names in Somali:

Daanbeeri

Common Names in Spanish:

Aguja Negra, Marlin, Marlin Negro, Merlín Negro, Merln Negro, Picudo, Picudo Negro

Common Names in Swahili:

Nduwalo, Sulisuli

Common Names in Swedish:

Black Marlin, Spjutfisk, Svart Marlin

Common Names in Tagalog:

Marlin

Common Names in Tahitian:

A'u, Ha'ura

Common Names in Tamil:

குப்பரான் , கொப்பரன், கொப்பரைகுலா, கொப்பரைகுல்லா, Kopparaikulla, Kopparan

Common Names in Vietnamese:

C C? ?n ?, Cá C? ?n Ð?, Cá Cờ Ấn Độ

Description

[ Back to top ]

Family Istiophoridae

Distribution: most tropical and subtropical waters. Premaxilla and nasal bones produced , forming a spear-like bill or rostrum with a rounded cross-section. Gill membranes not united to isthmus. Very narrow pelvic fins. Jaw teeth present. Two keels on each side of caudal peduncle in adults . Dorsal fin extending over much of body length ; sometimes resembling a sail. Dorsal fin can be depresssed into a groove . Lateral line persists in life. Vertebrae 24. Maximum length 4 m. Bill used for stunning prey fish. The morphological adaptations required for maintaining high brain and retinal temperatures are discussed in Brock et al. 1993 Science 260:210-214. Very popular as game fish .The family Istiophoridae belongs to the Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes ) and the Order Perciformes. It contains 3 genera and 11 species. It may be found in Marine environments and is primarily Marine. Members of this family are not used in the aquarium trade. Reproductively, most members of this family are nonguarders. The main mode of swimming of adult fish in this family is thunniform. Compared with other fish, the activity level of this family tends to be very active . Members of this family have been dated back to the Cretaceous period. Etymology of this family name : Greek, istion = sail + Greek, pherein = to carry

Habitat

Typically found in water with a depth of 0 to -5,685 meters (0 to -18,652 feet).Mean = -2,334.280 meters (-7,658.399 feet), Standard Deviation = 1,502.070 based on 604 observations. Ocean depth information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre.

Biome: Saltwater . Pelagic .

Taxonomy

[ Back to top ]

Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Histiophorus brevirostris Playfair, 1867
  2. Istiomax indicus (Cuvier, 1832)
  3. Istiompax australis Whitley, 1931
  4. Istiompax brevirostris (Playfair, 1867)
  5. Istiompax dombraini Whitley, 1954
  6. Istiompax indicus (Cuvier, 1832)
  7. Istiompax marlina (Jordan & Hill, 1926)
  8. Maikaira indica (Cuvier, 1832)
  9. Makaira ampla subsp. marlina Jordan & Hill, 1926
  10. Makaira ampla subsp. tahitiensis Nichols & LaMonte, 1935
  11. Makaira australis (MacLeay, 1854)
  12. Makaira brevirostris Playfair, 1867
  13. Makaira indica (Cuvier 1831)
  14. Makaira indica (Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1832)
  15. Makaira indica (Cuvier, 1832)
  16. Makaira indicus (Cuvier, 1832)
  17. Makaira malina Jordan & Hill, 1926
  18. Makaira marhina Jordan & Hill, 1926
  19. Makaira marlina Jordan & Hill, 1926
  20. Makaira marlina subsp. marlina Jordan & Hill, 1926
  21. Makaira marlina subsp. tahitiensis Nichols & LaMonte, 1935
  22. Makaira mazara subsp. tahitiensis Nichols & LaMonte, 1935
  23. Makaira nigricans subsp. marlina Jordan & Hill, 1926
  24. Makaira nigricans subsp. tahitiensis Nichols & LaMonte, 1935
  25. Makaira xantholineata Deraniyagala, 1956
  26. Malina malina (Jordan & Hill, 1926)
  27. Marlina marlina (Jordan & Hill, 1926)
  28. Tetrapturus australis Macleay, 1854
  29. Tetrapturus brevirostris (Playfair, 1867)
  30. Tetrapturus indicus Cuvier, 1832

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Data last modified by FishBase 24-Feb-1994

Similar Species

[ Back to top ]

Members of the genus Makaira

There are approximately 20 species in this genus:

M. ampla ampla · M. ampla marlina · M. ampla mazara · M. ampla tahitiensis · M. audax zelandica · M. nigricans · M. grammatica · M. indica · M. indica (Black Marlin) · M. marlina marlina · M. marlina tahitiensis · M. mazara (Black Spearfish) · M. mazara tahitiensis · M. nigricans (Atlantic Blue Marlin) · M. nigricans ampla · M. nigricans marlina · M. nigricans mazara · M. nigricans nigricans · M. nigricans tahitiensis · M. purdyi

Bibliography

[ Back to top ]

More Info

[ Back to top ]

Notes

[ Back to top ]

Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 29, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

Last Revised: 2008-11-03