migrations. The other five were local or scattered, but one ol them 

 extended the range of recaptures southeastward to lat. 4°N. long. 

 40° W. 



As previously, times at liberty have been long, and the record 

 has been increased to 58.7 mo. A new calculation, incorporating 

 much additional data, suggests that the annual mortality rate is 

 between 23% and 36%. 



The single blue marlin return is the first to show a significant 

 migration— at least 750 nautical miles, from the Bahamas to the Gulf 

 of Mexico— and the dates of release and recapture support the 

 theory of separate populations of blue marlin in the North and South 

 Atlantic. After 30 mo at liberty, this fish weighed twice its 

 estimated weight at release. 



(675.) Proceedings of the International Billfish Symposium, 

 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, 9-12 August 1972. Part 2. Review 

 and Contributed Papers— Migration Patterns of Istio- 

 phoridae in the Pacific Ocean as Determined by Coopera- 

 tive Tagging Programs. By James L. Squire, Jr. July 

 1974, p. 226-237. 



ABSTRACT 



Since 1954. billfish have been tagged by cooperative marine 

 game fish tagging programs in many ofthe major sportfishing areas 

 of the Pacific. Major locations of tagging have been off southern 

 California. U.S.A.. Baja California Sur and mainland Mexico, 

 Panama, and Australia. Two cooperative marine game fish tagging 

 programs haver operated in the Pacific, 1) the Cooperative Marine 

 Game Fish Tagging Program, sponsored jointly by the Woods Hole 

 Oceanographic Institution and the National Oceanic and Atmos- 

 pheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, and 2) a 

 cooperative program conducted by the California Department of 

 Fisn and Game. 



During 1954-1971, 15,540 billfish were tagged. Records show 

 9,849 striped marlin {Tetrapturus audax), 4,821 sailfish {Istiophorus 

 platyptenis) , 622 black marlin {Makaira indica), and 248 blue marlin 

 {Makaira nigricans) were tagged during this period. Ninety-seven 

 tag recoveries have been made; these include 85 striped marlin, 10 

 sailfish, and 2 black marlin. Eighty-one percent of these recoveries 

 were by longline fishing vessels, the remainder by marine sport 

 fishermen. 



The tag recovery rates were 0.88% for striped marlin, 0.32% 

 for black marlin, and 0.24% for sailfish. 



Four types of tags were used in the two programs. Two types of 

 metal tip dart tags were used by the Woods Hole Oceanographic 

 Institution: metal tipped single- and double-barbed plastic dart tags 

 were used by the National Marine Fisheries Service; and a 

 single-barb pla.stic dart tag was used by the California Department 

 of Fish and Game. Tag types giving the best recovery rate for 

 striped marlin and sailfish were the plastic single- and double 

 barbed dart tags. 



Recovery data for striped marlin tagged in the eastern Pacific 

 show a movement away from the tip of Baja California in a south to 

 southwest direction in late spring and early summer. Some 

 recoveries were made of fish tagged near the tip of Baia California 

 and recaptured northwest of the tip of Baja California. Mexico. The 

 migration pattern to the south and southwest at this time of the 

 year may be related to spawning. Striped marlin tagged off 

 southern California show a migration to the south in late summer 

 and early fall. Recoveries of striped marlin in the eastern Pacific 

 were generally short-term (average of 89 days) and covered short 

 distances, averaging 281 nautical miles. Only three of 85 tagged 

 striped marlin. and one of two tagged black marUn, were recovered 

 1,000 nautical miles or more from the site of tagging. The few 

 recoveries of tagged black marlin (2) and sailfish (101 did not provide 

 sufficient data to determine migration patterns for these species. 



(67.5.) Proceedings of the International Billfish Symposium, 

 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, 9 12 August 1972. Part 2. Review 

 and Contributed papers— Occurrence of Young Billfishes 

 in the Central Pacific Ocean. By Walter M. Matsumoto 

 and Thomas K. Kazama. July 1974. p. 238-251. 



ABSTRACT 



Plankton and other net-caught samples collected on past cruises 

 of the National Marine Fisheries Service, Honolulu Laboratory 

 vessels in Hawaiian and central Pacific equatorial waters were 

 examined for billfish larvae and juveniles. Of the 342 billfish young 

 found in 4,279 net tows, 209 were blue marlin, Makaira nigricans, 82 

 were shortbill spearfish, Tetrapturus angxistirostris. 2 were 



sailfish. Istiophorus platyptenis, 20 were swordfish, Xiphias 

 gladius. Twenty nine larvae were unidentified owing to excessive 

 damage. A preponderance of the catches was obtained from hauls 

 made at the surface during daylight. 



In the equatorial central and North Pacific larvae of only three 

 of the six billfish species nominally found in the Pacific were taken. 

 The captures of these larvae (blue marlin. shortbill spearfish, and 

 swordfish) fill the gaps in the known distribution of istiophorids and 

 swordfish, and extend their distribution eastward to the Hawaiian 

 Islands in the North Pacific. The two sailfish larvae were taken in 

 New Hebrides waters in the western South Pacific. 



The absence of striped marlin, Tetrapturus audax. larvae in 

 Hawaiian waters was significant, since this species comprises nearly 

 82% of all istiophorids taken on the longline in the Hawaiian fishery. 

 Their absence suggested that the striped marlin in Hawaiian 

 waters probably migrate elsewhere to spawn. If this true, then the 

 spawning habits of tnis species differ significantly from those of blue 

 marlin. A similar situation could hold for sailfish also. 



(675.) Proceedings of the International Billfish Symposium, 

 Kailua Kona, Hawaii, 9-12 August 1972. Part 2. Review 

 and Contributed Papers— Distribution of Larval Sword- 

 fish in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. By Gretchen E. 

 Markle. July 1974, p. 252-260. 



ABSTRACT 



Surface plankton collections, mostly with neuston nets towed at 

 4-5 knots, during eight cruises (19651972) yielded 119 swordfish 

 larvae 6 110 mm total length. Captures were grouped in discrete 

 geographical areas: Virgin Islands, Guiana current. Northwest 

 Caribbean, Windward Passage, and Florida current. All collections 

 were made in January April, but comparison with other published 

 data suggests that this may not be the peak spawning period. 

 Descriptions of swordfish larvae are appended. 



(675.) Proceedings of the International Billfish Symposium, 

 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, 9-12 August 1972. Part 2. Review 

 and Contributed Papers— The Distribution of the Larvae 

 of Swordfish, Xiphias gladius, in the Indian and Pacific 

 Oceans. By Yasuo Nishikawa and Shoji Ueyanagi. July 

 1974, p. 261-264. 



ABSTRACT 



The distribution of larval swordfish, Xiphias gladius, was 

 determined on the basis of 325 specimens collected from Japanese 

 research vessels operating in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. These 

 larvae, ranging from 3 to 160 mm in total length, were caught by 

 larva net tows and by dip netting. 



The larvae are distributed over virtually the entire tropical and 

 subtropical areas of the Pacific Ocean except for the eastern Pacific 

 east of long. 100°W. The northernmost occurrence was at lat. 31°N, 

 long. 132°E, near Kyushu in the western Pacific, and the 

 southernmost was at lat. 22°38'S, long. 105°24'W in the eastern 

 Pacific. Data were insufficient to delineate the distribution in the 

 Indian Ocean. 



The surface water temperature in the areas of larval swordfish 

 occurrence ranged from 24.1° to 30.7°C. 



(675.) Proceedings of the International Billfish Symposium, 

 Kailua Kona, Hawaii, 9-12 August 1972. Part 2. Review 

 and Contributed Papers— Notes on the Tracking of the 

 Pacific Blue Marlin, Makaira nigricans. By Heeny S. H. 

 Yuen, Andrew E. Dizon, and James H. Uchiyama. July 

 1974, p. 265 268. 



ABSTRACT 



In July of 1971 and 1972 five Pacific blue mariin. Makaira 

 nigricans, were tagged with temperature sensing, ultrasonic 

 transmitters off the west coast of Hawaii. These were tracked for 

 durations up to 22Vz h. The paths of three showed movement in a 

 northerly direction. The other two showed no movement. Average 

 swimming speed ranged from 2.2 km/h to 3.4 km/h for the three 

 fish tracked. Swimming depths differed considerably among the 

 three. 



(675.) Proceedings of the International Billfish Symposium, 

 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, 9-12 August 1972. Part 2. Review 



10 



