Azores (Portugal) Post issued the local FDC that features the marlin species, Atlantic Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans) and White Marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) on stamps meanwhile the image of Atlantic Blue Marlin drawn in the left side of FDC. The issue of FDC has a special post mark and dated on June 28, 2004. Both species are registered in the Seafood Red List of Greenpeace International in year 2010.
The Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) is a species of marlin endemic to the Atlantic Ocean and it is a blue water fish that spends the majority of its life in the open sea, far away from land.
The Atlantic blue marlin feeds on a wide variety of organisms near the surface. By using its bill, it can stun, injure, or kill while knifing through a school of prey and then return later at its leisure to eat. Females can grow up to four times the weight of males. The maximum published weight is 820 kilograms . Marlin have few predators apart from man; the IUCN currently consider it a threatened species due to overfishing.
Makaira nigricans is a popular game fish and has commercial value because its meat has a relatively high fat content and distributed throughout the Atlantic's tropical and temperate waters; they are more populous in the western parts. Makaira nigricans are often caught as by- catch in tuna longline fisheries. Marlin has commercial value throughout the world, with landings totaling 3,064 metric tons in 2000.Their meat has a high fat content. It is particularly valued in Japan for sashimi. In Hawaii, Blue marlin meat is commonly smoked and sold by roadside vendors.
The Atlantic blue marlin is listed as a threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
White Marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) are large, elongated fish with a large upper jaw that forms a spear which is round in cross-section. They are dark blue to chocolate-brown in color. Generally considered to be a rare and solitary species relative to other similar fish. White marlin occur in small groups consisting of several individuals.
Average weight of 25 kg with females reaching relatively larger sizes. The White Marlin's preferred habitat is deep blue water over 100m .This species usually migrates to high latitudes in the warm season. They reproduce while in the subtropics; spawning in early summer in deep, oceanic waters. Prey items are a variety of fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods.
In 2006, White marlin are mostly caught as by- catch in international longline fisheries. However, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) reports indicate that recent international management recommendations have started stabilizing the stock biomass.
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