STRIPED MARLIN (1961 -70) -MALES 



WEIGHT CLASS (KILOGRAM) 



WEIGHT CLASS (KILOGRAM) 



Figure 6. — Weight-frequency distribution of striped 

 marlin. 



of male and female striped marlin are about identical 

 and the size-frequency distribution of the males and 

 females show almost no difference. They ranged 

 from 3 to 147 kg (7 to 324 lb). It is interesting that 

 during the first, second, and fourth quarters, the 

 size-frequency distribution shows a bimodal dis- 

 tribution while in the third quarter the size distribu- 

 tion only shows one mode. In the first quarter the 

 modes are located between 14 and 18 kg (31 and 40 

 lb) and 34 and 38 kg (75 and 84 lb), in the second 

 quarter between 18 and 22 kg (31 and 48 lb) and 38 

 and 46 kg (84 and 101 lb), and in the fourth quarter 

 between 10 and 14 kg (22 and 3 1 lb) and 34 and 38 kg 

 (75 and 84 lb). In the third quarter the single mode is 

 located between 26 and 30 kg (57 and 66 lb). 



It was noted earlier that the monthly landings 

 showed greater fluctuations than the monthly catch 

 rates and that the biggest dip in the landings was found 

 consistently during the third quarter. This was ap- 

 parently caused by a combination of low catch rates 

 and the presence of only intermediate size fish in the 

 landings in the third quarter. In the third quarter 

 striped marlin represented by the larger of the two 

 modes found in the other three quarters are evidently 

 not present in large numbers in Hawaiian waters. 



Of interest is the observation that larvae of striped 

 marlin are not found in Hawaiian waters (Mat- 

 sumoto and Kazama, 1974). Matsumoto and Kazama 

 have suggested several reasons for the absence of 

 striped marlin larvae, including the possibility that 

 adult striped marlin leave Hawaiian waters to spawn 

 elsewhere. They cite as evidence the absence of the 

 larger size group of striped marlin in the Hawaiian 

 Islands area starting in about July. As noted above, 

 my data show that the larger striped marlin are not 

 present in the commercial landings in large numbers 

 in the third quarter. 



In contrast to the striped marlin, the blue marlin 

 show striking differences in size between the sexes 

 and also in their size distribution (Fig. 7). The 

 females grow to be much larger than the males; they 

 ranged from 7 to 444 kg ( 15 to 979 lb). In the first and 

 fourth quarters no clearly defined modes are present 

 in the female weight-frequency distribution. In the 

 second quarter a single mode is evident between 140 

 and 144 kg (309 and 317 lb). The third quarter dis- 

 tribution shows a mode between 120 and 184 kg (264 

 and 406 lb). 



The size distributions of the males, on the other 

 hand, show a pronounced mode between 44 and 80 

 kg (97 and 176 lb) in all quarters of the year. They 

 ranged from 12 to 140 kg (26 to 309 lb). 



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