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Species Synopses STRIPED MARLIN (Tetrapturus audax) Striped marlin are found in tropical, subtropical and temperate waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In common with blue marlin, they are a true oceanic species rarely found in shallow coastal waters. The distribution of striped marlin in the Pacific forms a horseshoe, with high catch-rates in the northwest and southwest Pacific apparently connected to high-catch rates in the tropical eastern Pacific. Their distribution in the Indian Ocean differs considerably from that in the Pacific, being less subdivided and with fish more densely distributed in the equatorial region. While there is evidence to indicate distinct stocks of fish associated with the North and South Pacific Oceans, there is also evidence that suggests interchange between these two areas. Concentrations of striped marlin off the east coast of Australia are associated with pre-spawning (September - October) and spawning (November - December) aggregations. These occur between about 17°S and 30°S and at least as far east as New Caledonia. These fish appear to enter the southwest Pacific from the east, passing through the area south of Fiji in September. The pre-spawning concentrations are associated with elevated bottom topography, including seamounts, the Lord Howe Rise and the Norfolk Ridge. In these waters they appear to favour the cooler waters east of the warm East Australian Current. Fish move north from September to December and spawning aggregations tend to occur north of 25°S. Unlike the pre-spawning aggregations, spawning fish are not associated with elevated bottom topography. Aggregations disperse southwards towards the end of December. Striped marlin mature at 27-40kg, and while there appears to be little sexual dimorphism in size, in the eastern Pacific the percentage of females tends to increase with the size of the fish. Striped marlin grow to a maximum of 260kg in at least 10 years. Various growth rates have been determined, including approximately 14kg per year for the first three years (Hawaii) and 3 years to reach 93kg and 8 years to reach 145kg (New Zealand). web@aims.gov.au
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