Striped marlin

Kajikia audax

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth0–468 m
Water temperature16–29 °C
Best monthsFebruary and March
How commonCommon

Photo credit: (c) Jackiemora01, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

About this species

The striped marlin is a species of marlin found globally in tropical to temperate oceans not far from the surface. It is a desirable commercial and game fish, although conservation measures are in place to restrict its commercial landings. An epipelagic predator, it hunts during the day in the top 100 metres (330 ft) or so of the water column, often near the surface. One of its chief prey are sardines and other pelagic forage fish.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Striped marlin”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 613 records
February: 2,473 records
March: 1,778 records
April: 986 records
May: 269 records
June: 60 records
July: 10 records
August: 18 records
September: 21 records
October: 15 records
November: 69 records
December: 70 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 0–468 m · Deepest record: 468 m

0–10 m: 1 records
10–20 m: 1 records
20–30 m: 0 records
30–40 m: 0 records
40–50 m: 0 records
50–60 m: 0 records
60–70 m: 0 records
70–80 m: 0 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 0 records
100–110 m: 0 records
110+ m: 4 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 16–29 °C

14–16 °C: 1 records
16–18 °C: 356 records
18–20 °C: 346 records
20–22 °C: 9 records
22–24 °C: 7 records
24–26 °C: 3 records
26–28 °C: 61 records
28–30 °C: 41 records

Photos

(c) tunicatedreamz, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) cstobie, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist
(c) Sue Carnahan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Ewout Knoester, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
(c) Sula Vanderplank, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) CH Hemphill, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

Names and classification

English: Striped marlin, Beak, Beakie, High-finned Spearfish, New Zealand Marlin, striped marlin, Stripey

Names in 5 more languages

German: gestreifter Marlin, Gestreifter Marlin (Indopazifik)
Spanish: Agujón, marlin rayado, Pez Aguja, Pez Puerco
French: Empereur, Empéreux, Marlin rayé, Empéreux, marlin rayé, Marlin rayé
Japanese: Makajiki, マカジキ
Korean: 줄무늬새치

Other scientific names: Histiophorus audax, Istiophorus audax, Kajikia formosana, Kajikia mitsukurii, Makaira audax, Makaira formosana, Makaira grammatica, Makaira holei, Makaira mitsukurii, Makaira tenuirostratus, Makaira zelandica, Makairaf grammatica, Marlina audax, Marlina jauffreti, Marlina mitsukurii, Marlina zelandica, Tetrapterus audax, Tetrapturus acutirostratus, Tetrapturus audax, Tetrapturus ectenes, Tetrapturus mitsukurii, Tetrapturus tenuirostratus

Similar species

Atlantic white marlin
Kajikia albida
Black marlin
Istiompax indica
Indo-Pacific sailfish
Istiophorus platypterus
Atlantic sailfish
Istiophorus albicans

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
7,158 open-data records from 1939 to 2024.
Species data updated November 3, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist