ble externally, complex, forming a reticulate pattern 

 covering sides of body (visible when large patch of 

 skin is removed and dried). Dorsal spines 39 to 46, 

 usually 41 to 43. Anal spines 14 to 17, usually 15 or 16. 

 Pectoral rays 20 to 22, usually 21 or 22. 



Material examined: Specimens studied and 

 allocated to this species (as Makaira ampla) by me 

 (Rivas, 1956) were examined in the field and discard- 

 ed because of their large size. Records of 

 measurements, counts, sex, gonad condition, and 

 other characters for these and other specimens are in 

 my files. 



Subjective synonymy: See above under objective 

 synonymy. 



1.22 Taxonomic status 



I have always held that Makaira nigricans con- 

 stitutes a single pantropical species occurring in the 

 Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans (Rivas, 1956, as 

 M. ampla). The same view was held by Royce (1957), 

 Briggs (1960), Robins and de Sylva (1960), Jones and 

 Silas (1964), and Morrow (1964). Recently, however, 

 Nakamura, Iwai, and Matsubara (1968) have in- 

 dicated that two forms are involved which they inter- 

 pret as closely related but separate species. They con- 

 sider M, nigricans as restricted to the Atlantic and M. 

 mazara as occurring in the Indo-Pacific. The only 

 evidence given by these authors is a slight difference 

 in the lateral line pattern; however, it should be noted 

 that the specimens they compared were of different 

 sizes. I disagree with Nakamura et al. (1968) that two 

 species are involved and maintain that there is only 

 one pantropical species. 



1.23 Subspecies 



As a corrollary to the above discussion it may be in- 

 dicated that several authors have considered the 

 Atlantic and Indo-Pacific forms as subspecies. This 

 has been discussed by Nakamura et al. (1968). At the 

 present state of knowledge, however, no subspecific 

 division should be considered. 



1.24 Standard common names and ver- 

 nacular names. 



Standard common names: Blue marlin (English- 

 speaking countries), Aguja de Casta (Cuba), Marlin 

 azul (Mexico, Central America, Venezuela), Pieto 

 (Madeira), Kurokajiki (Japan), Ian fu yii (China), 

 taketonga (New Zealand). 



Vernacular names: Cuban black marlin (United 

 States), Castero (Cuba), Katsuokui, Katokui, 

 Kuroka, Kurokawa, Shiroka, Shirokajiki, Gemba 

 (Japan), Njiachi (Okinawa). 



1.3 Morphology 



1.31 External morphology 



For description of spawn, larvae, and adolescents, 

 see 3.17, 3.22, 3.23. 



Individual and ontogenetic variation: Data and 

 comments on individual and ontogenetic variation 

 (allometric growth) have been presented by Rivas 

 (1956), Royce (1957), and Nakamura et al. (1968). 

 Much more information is needed. 



Geographic variation: As yet, information is not 

 available to establish the extent of geographic varia- 

 tion (see also comments under 1.22 and 1.23 above). 

 This also applies to the morphological definition of 

 subpopulations. 



1.32 Cytomorphology 



Nothing is known about chromosome number and 

 other aspects of the cytomorphology of this species. 



1.33 Protein specificity 



No information on comparative serology is 

 available for this species. 



2 DISTRIBUTION 



2.1 Total Area 



Geographic distribution: The geographic and 

 seasonal distributions are fairly well known as the 

 result of data published by Ueyanagi et al. (1970) and 

 Mather, Jones, and Beardsley (1972) for the Atlantic 

 Ocean and by Howard and Ueyanagi (1965) and 

 Nakamura et al. (1968) for the Pacific Ocean. 



In the Atlantic, the latitudinal range of blue marlin 

 varies seasonally and extends from about lat. 45 °N to 

 about lat. 35°S. Monthly distribution of catches by 

 Japanese longliners shows two main seasonal concen- 

 trations. One occurs from January through April, in 

 the southwestern Atlantic, between lat. 5° and 30°S 

 and the other from June through October, in the 

 northwestern Atlantic, between lat. 10° and 35° N. 

 May, November, and December appear to be tran- 

 sitional months. The species is less abundant in the 

 eastern Atlantic where it occurs mostly off Africa 

 between lat. 25°N and 25°S. 



In the Pacific, the latitudinal range of the blue 

 marlin is also seasonal and extends from about lat. 

 48°N to about lat. 48°S. As in the Atlantic, monthly 

 distribution of catches by Japanese longliners shows 

 two main seasonal concentrations. One center of con- 

 centration occurs from December through March, in 

 the western and central South Pacific, between lat. 8° 

 and 26°S, and the other from May through October, 



