English language common names include blue marlin, Atlantic blue marlin, billfish, cuban black marlin, marlin, ocean gar, and ocean guard. European common names include abanico (Spanish), aguja (Spanish), castero (Spanish), prieta (Spanish), voladora (Spanish), blauer marlin (German), espadarte-sombra (Portuguese), espadon (French) and makaire bleu (French). In Japan this fish is often referred to as nishikuro and in Africa the common names of the blue marlin include blou marlyn and sulisuli.
Geographical Distribution
The blue marlin is found primarily in the temperate and tropical regions of the Atlantic Ocean. Based on commercial fishing observations, the blue marlin occurs from about 44?? N to 30??S.
Habitat
Occurring offshore in blue oceanic waters, the blue marlin prefers to stay in the warm waters near the surface, above the thermocline. They follow the seasonal water temperature changes, being closely tied to these warm waters. They are found in ocean waters great distances from the continents as well as coastal regions near deep waters, such as near the Mississippi River in the Gulf of Mexico.
