Makaira

"Blue marlin" redirects here. For other uses, see Blue marlin (disambiguation).

Makaira (Latin via Greek: μαχαίρα "sword") is a genus of marlin in the family Istiophoridae. It includes the Atlantic blue and Indo-Pacific blue marlins.^[2] In the past, the black marlin was also included in this genus, but today it is placed in its own genus, Istiompax.

Makaira Temporal range: Middle Miocene to present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Atlantic blue marlin, Makaira nigricans
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1] (Note that the IUCN recognises the blue marlin as a single species)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Carangiformes
Suborder:	Menoidei
Superfamily:	Xiphioidea
Family:	Istiophoridae
Genus:	Makaira Lacépède, 1802
Type species
Makaira nigricans Lacepède, 1802
Species
Makaira mazara Makaira nigricans
Synonyms
Eumakaira Hirasaka & H. Nakamura, 1947 Marlina Hirasaka & H. Nakamura, 1947 Orthocraeros J. L. B. Smith, 1956

Species

• Makaira nigricans Lacepède, 1802 (Atlantic blue marlin)
• Makaira mazara (Jordan & Snyder, 1901) (Indo-Pacific blue marlin)

Although they are traditionally listed as separate species, recent research indicates that the Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) and Indo-Pacific blue marlin (Makaira mazara) may be parapatric populations of the same species.^[2][3]

The following fossil species are also known:^[4][5]

• †Makaira adensa Gracia et al, 2024 - late Miocene of Italy
• †Makaira belgica (Lériche, 1926) - middle Miocene of Belgium, late Miocene of Italy
• †Makaira colonense Gracia et al, 2022 - late Miocene of Panama
• †Makaira cyclovata Gracia et al, 2024 - late Miocene of Italy
• †Makaira fierstini Gracia et al, 2022 - late Miocene of Panama
• †Makaira panamense Fierstine, 1978 - late Miocene of Panama
• †Makaira purdyi Fierstine, 1999 - Pliocene of North Carolina, USA
• †Makaira teretirostris (Rütimeyer, 1857) - early Pliocene of France

Phylogenetic analyses recover these fossil Makaira as together forming a clade more derived than the extant species, despite all of them being extinct.^[5]