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Blue Marlin

Makaira nigricans

Fish · family Istiophoridae · order Carangiformes

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Blue Marlin
Photo: NOAA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
Native in
5 states[2]
Longest recorded life
28 years[3]

Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans) is a fish in the family Istiophoridae[4]. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act, and NatureServe lists it as native in Louisiana, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Texas[1][2].

Conservation status

Blue Marlin is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS data checked on 2026-10-30[1]. That only describes federal listing. It does not say how many fish there are. NatureServe also gives ranks for each state, shown in the table on this page[5]. Listings can change by federal rule[1].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed

Where Blue Marlin lives

NatureServe lists Blue Marlin as native in 5 US states and territories: Louisiana, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Texas[2]. People also report it to GBIF from other states. The states with the most GBIF records are North Carolina, Hawaii, Florida, Texas and Maryland[6]. These counts follow how much people look and report, not how many fish live there[6].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: native, state rank SNRNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: native, state rank SNRRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: native, state rank SUSCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: native, state rank S3LAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S3TXFlorida: not recordedFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[5].
Show state ranks (5 states)
StateRankMeaning
LouisianaS3Vulnerable
New JerseySNRNot Ranked
Rhode IslandSNRNot Ranked
South CarolinaSUUnrankable
TexasS3Vulnerable

Lifespan

The longest recorded lifespan for Blue Marlin in the AnAge database is 28 years in the wild[3]. This is a record and not a typical lifespan[3].

Trait Value
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[3] 28 years (wild)

When to look for it

GBIF observation records of Blue Marlin in the United States fall mostly in May, July and August[7]. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[7]. They do not tell us when the fish is active or where it travels.

January: 9 recordsJanFebruary: 0 recordsFebMarch: 3 recordsMarApril: 3 recordsAprMay: 15 recordsMayJune: 4 recordsJunJuly: 11 recordsJulAugust: 46 recordsAugSeptember: 5 recordsSepOctober: 5 recordsOctNovember: 5 recordsNovDecember: 1 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[7].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January9
February0
March3
April3
May15
June4
July11
August46
September5
October5
November5
December1

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Blue Marlin as present in 1 park units[8]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

States with the most GBIF observation records: North Carolina, Hawaii, Florida, Texas, Maryland[6]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Blue Marlin endangered?
It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS data checked on 2026-10-30[1].
Where does the Blue Marlin live in the US?
NatureServe lists it as native in Louisiana, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Texas[2]. GBIF records are most numerous in North Carolina, Hawaii, Florida, Texas and Maryland, but these follow observer effort[6].
How long does a Blue Marlin live?
The longest recorded lifespan in the wild is 28 years[3]. This is a record and not a typical lifespan[3].
When are Blue Marlin most often reported?
GBIF records in the United States fall mostly in May, July and August[7]. Records reflect when people look and report[7].

Facts and sources

  1. Blue Marlin is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe lists Blue Marlin as native in 5 US states and territories: Louisiana, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas. NatureServe Explorer
  3. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 28 years in the wild. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  4. Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans) is a fish in the family Istiophoridae, order Carangiformes. NatureServe Explorer
  5. NatureServe state ranks for Blue Marlin (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  6. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Blue Marlin: North Carolina, Hawaii, Florida, Texas, Maryland. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  7. GBIF observation records of Blue Marlin in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  8. NPSpecies park lists recording Blue Marlin as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: NOAA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.