A Contribution to the Trophic Biology of the Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans Lacepede, 1802) in Hawaii

Abstract

A study of the trophic biology of 87 blue marlin caught in Hawaiian waters indicates that these opportunistic predators consume a diverse array of prey. The data suggest that the diet of blue marlin is influenced by the locality of capture. Thus, surface (troll)-caught blue marlin from near the Hawaiian Islands consume numerous larvae, postlarvae, and juveniles of inshore species, prey relatively rare in marlin taken on the high seas. Volumetrically, these inshore forms are of little consequence and probably contribute little to the energy requirements of blue marlin. As shown in other studies, small tunas are the single most important component of Hawaiian blue marlin diets.