Allometric Growth in the Striped Marlin, Makaira mitsukurii, 
from New Zealand^ 
James E. Morrow, Jr.^ 
INTRODUCTION 
Measurements made on 49 striped marlin 
obtained by the Yale-New Zealand Expedi- 
tion, 1948, are the basis for this study. The 
fish were caught on rod and line between 
January 31 and March 3, 1948, near Cape 
Brett, New Zealand. The majority (36) were 
taken in the immediate vicinity of Cape 
Brett, at the mouth of the Bay of Islands, 
while the remaining 13 were caught near the 
Cavalli Islands, about 20 miles to the north- 
west. Thirty of the fish were caught by mem- 
bers of the expedition. For the privilege of 
examining the remaining 19, it is our pleasant 
duty to extend our thanks to the guests of 
Otehei Lodge, Otehei Bay, New Zealand. 
We also wish to thank the proprietors, Mr. 
and Mrs. G. J. Hassall, and their staff for their 
generous co-operation and for the excellent 
working facilities which they furnished us. 
The fish measured in this work ranged be- 
tween 201.9 and 286.5 centimeters in standard 
length. This is, then, an examination of allo- 
metry in adult animals. Ideally, a study of this 
type would include specimens from the 
smallest postlarva to the largest adult, thereby 
providing indices to the growth patterns at 
all ages and showing when and how these 
growth patterns change. Because of the 
methods of capture available to us, however, 
we were unable to do more than examine fish 
^Scientific results of the Yale-New Zealand Expe- 
dition, 1948. 
^Bingham Oceanographic Laboratory, Yale Uni- 
versity, New Haven, Conn. Manuscript received 
December 26, 1950. 
of a size commonly taken on rod and line. 
The world’s record for striped marlin is 409 
centimeters in total length (about 325 cm. in 
standard length), and marlin less than about 
150 centimeters are rarely if ever taken on rod 
and line. Since our specimens range from 
201.9 to 286.5 centimeters in standard length, 
we are thus dealing here neither with the 
largest nor the smallest, but rather with the 
middle portion of the adult size range. 
Studies of allometric growth are applicable 
to a number of broad problems. They may 
help to elucidate the laws governing the 
growth of animals and establish general 
principles of wide application. They may 
provide a clue to the mechanics of raciation, 
speciation, and evolution; changing growth 
patterns, both ontogenetic and phylogenetic, 
are indicators that these phenomena are tak- 
ing place. They may indicate whether or not 
a widely ranging species is homogeneous or 
composed of a number of separate popula- 
tions, information which is often vital to the 
fisheries biologist or conservationist. It was 
with particular reference to this last point that 
the measurements here recorded were made. 
These measurements should be especially 
valuable to workers who gather similar data 
on this species in different parts of the world. 
MATERIALS AND METHODS 
All big-game fish brought in to Otehei Bay 
were weighed on the official scale of the Bay 
of Islands Swordfish and Mako Shark Club 
by G. J. Hassall, weighmaster. Linear meas- 
urements were made by us with a tape 
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