3.23 Adolescent phase 



No data on the stages between 23 and ca. 1,300 mm 

 in body length. 



3.3 Adult Phase 



3.31 Longevity 

 No data. 



3.32 Hardiness 

 No data. 



3.33 Competitors 



Generally, large sharks are thought to be com- 

 petitors or predators and tunas and small marlins are 



thought to be competitors or victims for large marlins 

 {Makaira spp.) and swordfish (Parin, 1968). 



3.34 Predators 



Pelagic carnivorous fishes such as sharks, scom- 

 broids, carangoids, and other istiophorids are 

 predators of larval and juvenile stages of the black 

 marlin. There are no true predators on the adult fish. 



3.35 Parasites, diseases, injuries, and ab- 

 normality. 



No data except parasites on which some descrip- 

 tions are in the papers of Silas (1967) and Silas and 

 Ummerkutty (1967). 



Figure 4.— Larvae of the black marlin. A. 3.6 mm in body length. B. Approximately 5.2 

 mm in body length. C. 23 mm in body length. (From Ueyanagi, 1960.) 



23 



