A contribution to the trophic biology of the blue marlin ( Makaira nigricans Lacepede, 1802) in Hawaii.

Abstract

These opportunistic predators consume a diverse array of prey. Surface-caught blue marlin from near the Hawaiian Islands consume numerous larvae, postlarvae, and juveniles of inshore species, prey relatively rare in marlin taken on the high seas. Volumetrically, these inshore forms are of little consequence and probably contribute little to the energy requirements of blue marlin. Small tunas are the single most important component of Hawaiian blue marlin diets. -from Author