One of the most contentious problems I have encountered when fishing for sport or deep sea fishing is how to differentiate between species of marlin fish. A common mistake is if the fish when they get to the boat are blue or have distinctive stripes that characterize what they are, WRONG. Blues and stripeys can appear with electric blue stripes, blacks can also appear with a blue appearance.

There are 3 types of Marlin and 3 types of Marlins. Billfish include Broadbill, Sailfish, and Spearfish. The Marlin are the Black Marlin, the Blue Marlin and the Striped Marlin.

I’m going to tell you the correct way to differentiate the Marlin. It is mainly about the size and configuration of the beak and the pectoral, dorsal and tail fins.

MARLIN STRIPES. The stripey is a very thin fish compared to its cousins, and its tail is proportionally huge compared to its body. Its dorsal fin is very high and tapers towards the rear fin. The pectoral fins are long, wide, and straight and can be folded flat against your body. Its color is distinctive with wide vertical stripes of very bright blue. It has the longest and thinnest bill of all the Marlin. Its meat is of a light salmon color.

MARLIN BLACK. The most distinctive feature of the black that separates it from its cousins ​​is its pectoral fins, they are rigid and curved and do not bend backwards along the body. Its body is shorter and thicker compared to the others, as is its beak. The color is dark at the top and very light at the bottom with a very distinct line between the two. Its dorsal fin is much shorter than the others and a little more rounded. Its flesh is pale white.

MARLIN BLUE. A more distinctive feature of Blues is the shape of its head, its head is much taller than the other two fish, although its bill is quite thin. The dorsal fin has a very fine tip compared to the black one, and its pectoral fins are straight and can be closed to lie flat along its body. They can be featured on the boat with shiny vertical bars on the body, this does NOT make them Stripeys. They are not only caught in very deep water, but are typically fished and caught on the continental shelf. Its flesh is pale white. Blues often dive deeper and tire more quickly than other Marlins.